Once hailed as a miracle drug for Type 2 diabetics, Onglyza side effects are tarnishing the drug’s crown.

Onglyza, made by AstraZeneca, was approved by the FDA in 2009 to help control high blood sugar.

Its popularity soared quickly because it does not cause weight gain, which is a side effect of many other diabetes medicines.

Onglyza is an incretin-based therapy, and belongs to a new class of drugs called DPP-4 inhibitors.

What Is a DPP-4 Inhibitor?

Our bodies process food through a long chain of events. The enzyme DPP-4 breaks down the incretin hormone GLP-1. After we eat, GLP-1 enters the bloodstream and alerts the pancreas to make insulin.

People who have diabetes see a reduction of GLP-1, which translates into the pancreas reducing its insulin production. The result is high blood sugar.

Onglyza inhibits DPP-4, allowing GLP-1 to stay active longer in the body. The GLP-1 is then able to encourage the pancreas to make more insulin.

Onglyza also prevents the liver from creating too much glucose, a reduction that also helps lower overall blood sugar counts.

Onglyza Side Effects on the Pancreas

The benefits of Onglyza come at a great cost for some patients.

Onglyza side effects allegedly include an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. In 2013, researchers looked at the pancreases of deceased patients who had taken Onglyza and similar incretin drugs and discovered pre-cancerous cells in the pancreases.

Onglyza increases the number and size of the cells that secrete insulin in the pancreas. These cells are called beta cells, and they either shrink or die in people with Type 2 diabetes, causing these patients to experience a reduction in insulin.

The problem is the beta cells that Onglyza helped produced were abnormal. Onglyza side effects allegedly include benign tumors that can transform into cancer in the pancreas.

These beta cell abnormalities were only seen in patients who took DPP-4 or GLP-1 drugs such as Onglyza.

The work that the drug does on the pancreas is linked to another Onglyza side effect: pancreatitis.

When Onglyza increases the number of beta cells, the pancreas can become inflamed, a condition known as pancreatitis.

The FDA has received adverse event reports of acute pancreatitis among Onglyza side effects.

Patients suffering from pancreatitis often require hospitalization because the condition is painful and can be deadly. Studies show that it can also lead to pancreatic cancer.

Onglyza Side Effects: Heart Failure Risk

In 2013, researchers wondered if Onglyza could offer any protection against heart ailments. Their study actually found that patients who took Onglyza had an increased risk for heart failure.

When the heart pumps blood at an abnormally slow rate, it is known as heart failure, causing the body to become deficient in oxygen and nutrients. Over time, fluid retention leads to congestive heart failure.

Onglyza should be avoided by those at risk for heart failure, according to Dr. Anthony DeMaria, editor in chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, in a Reuters interview.

If you have taken Onglyza and suffered any side effects, you could be eligible for compensation through a class action lawsuit.