A man has joined thousands of others in filing a saxagliptin lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against Onglyza’s drug manufacturers, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP for development of congestive heart failure.

Plaintiff Victor Y. filed the saxagliptin lawsuit demanding a jury trial. The lawsuit was filed on May 15, 2018.

According to the saxagliptin lawsuit, Victor, a resident of Ohio, was prescribed Onglyza to help lower his blood sugar level and help treat his type-2 diabetes. He says that he ingested Onglyza from approximately December 2009 to May 2012.

However, as a result of taking Onglyza, he says that he developed congestive heart failure among other severe injuries as well. Victor states that he suffered “significant bodily and mental injuries, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, embarrassment, inconvenience, loss of earnings and earning capacity and have and will incur past and future medical expenses.”

According to Victor, his prescribing physicians would not have prescribed Onglyza and would have changed the way in which they treated his condition. They also state that had they known of the relevant side effects associated with Onglyza they would have discussed the true risks for developing congestive heart failure, cardiac failure, and heart failure, among other serious adverse side effects.

The saxagliptin lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including design defect, negligence, failure to warn, breach of warranty of merchantability, breach of express warranty, and breach of implied warranty.

Overview: Saxagliptin Lawsuit

Onlgyza (saxagliptin) is a type-2 diabetes medication that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009.

Onglyza is manufactured by Bristol Myers- Squibb and contains an active known ingredient, saxagliptin. It is considered a DPP-4 inhibitor that breaks down the hormone GLP-1 that becomes released to help with the breakdown of food. GLP-1 signals the release of insulin from the pancreas.

With the ingestion of Onglyza, it helps inhibit DPP-4 from breaking down GLP-1 thereby allowing it to stay in the body for a longer time period, thus allowing the pancreas to create and release insulin after the body’s ingestion of food.

However, there are severe and serious adverse side effects reported in association with Onglyza, In fact, a safety announcement was released by the FDA in February 2014 reporting on Onglyza’s risks for developing heart failure.

“A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety review has found that type 2 diabetes medicines containing saxagliptin and alogliptin may increase the risk of heart failure, particularly in patients who already have heart or kidney disease,” the announcement stated.

Other adverse side effects in addition to heart failure have also included inflammation of the pancreas, low blood sugar, joint pain, allergic reaction, skin reaction, and allergic retention.

The announcement made by the FDA also advised physicians and medical practitioners to carefully monitor their patients and watch for any of these side effects and complications.

The Saxagliptin Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-09273-MAS-TJB, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.