A Kentucky couple has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Merck & Co., Novo Nordisk, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and Eli Lilly & Co., alleging that their type-2 diabetes drugs Januvia, Janumet, Byetta, and Victoza caused the injured party to develop pancreatic cancer.

The plaintiffs were prescribed the medications to treat type-2 diabetes, according to their lawsuit. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. The plaintiffs allege that had they or their physician been properly warned of the risk of pancreatic cancer from drugs like Januvia they would not have been prescribed or taken the drugs.

The couple’s Januvia lawyers claim that the plaintiffs were not aware that type-2 diabetes medications could cause such complications until recently, and had not been given proper disclosure at the time the medication was prescribed. Therefore, the Januvia lawsuit says, the plaintiff was unable to make a reasonable decision at the time and is holding Merck accountable for deliberately concealing that Januvia, Janumet, Byetta, and Victoza can cause pancreatic cancer.

The Januvia lawsuit accuses Merck & Co. of negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

The Januvia cancer lawsuit further alleges that:

• Defendants knew Januvia, Janumet, Byetta, and Victoza could pose a risk of pancreatic cancer and kept this information from patients and doctors.
• The warnings on the medications are inadequate and do not even mention pancreatic cancer.
• Defendants failed to tell doctors to monitor Januvia, Janumet, Byetta, and Victoza users for signs of changes within the pancreas.
• The drugs pose an “extreme risk” and its benefits do not outweigh this risk.
• Rather than pull the medication from the market or issue stronger warnings, defendants continue to promote them as a safe and effective treatment.
• Defendants did not perform adequate safety tests.
• Defendants over-promoted Januvia, Janumet, Byetta, and Victoza and under-warned about their risks.

Overview of Januvia Complications

Januvia was released by drug maker Merck in 2006 and is one of the best-selling type-2 diabetes drugs in the United States. However, medical researchers have already associated it with pancreatic cancer. Januvia increases the insulin made in the pancreas while decreasing the sugar (glycogen) stored in the liver. This process though may also affect the ability of the body to defend itself against cancer.

According to records, Merck was ordered by the FDA in 2009 to perform safety tests on Januvia that may have shown these increased risks. However, violation letters show the company delayed the testing. Despite the financial success for Merck, as well as the medical benefits for patients and doctors, reports of dangerous Januvia side effects, including pancreatic cancer, raise questions about whether the drugs’ risks outweigh their benefits.

How are Drugs Like  Januvia Linked to Pancreatic Cancer?

Januvia, like Janumet, Byetta, and Victoza, belongs to a class of drugs that work by slowing down the metabolism of naturally-occurring hormones known as incretins – specifically Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1). Typically, diabetics do not produce enough of these hormones on their own, and drugs such as Januvia allow these hormones to stay active in the bloodstream longer to reduce blood sugar levels. In doing so, Januvia increases the patient’s GLP-1 receptor activity. It has been theorized, however, that this increased activity may put the user at a greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

While this association has yet to be proven, medical experts hypothesize that these conditions could result due to how the patients metabolizes the drug. Januvia is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor. This and other drugs in this family work by encouraging the body’s incretin manufacturing process, which helps maintain a healthy level of insulin.

The plaintiffs in the above-mentioned Januvia cancer lawsuit are seeking all actual and statutory damages as well as medical, all reasonable court costs, and punitive damages in excess of $75,000 for Merck’s alleged failure to warn and negligence in promoting Januvia. They have requested a jury trial for this case.

The Januvia Cancer Lawsuit, filed June 24, 2014, is Newsome v. Merck & Co., Case No. 3:14-cv-01721-AJB-MDD, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.