Onglyza (saxagliptin) is one of the most popular type-2 diabetes drugs, which has been allegedly linked to a number of severe side effects.

Serious Onglyza adverse effects reported include: pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, and even heart failure.

Along with diet and exercise, this drug is marketed to make diabetic symptoms easier to manage.

Approved by the FDA in 2009, Onglyza is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca and quickly became popular soon after.

Onglyza is part of the incretin mimetics drug family, which are designed to help stabilize patients’ production of insulin in the pancreas.

With regular insulin production, the patient’s blood sugar levels will be ideally balanced and prevent serious diabetic symptoms.

The active ingredient saxagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor, which is a naturally occurring enzyme that breaks down the incretin hormone GLP-1.

This hormone is released by the body after eating, which signals the pancreas to manufacture insulin.

Patients with type-2 diabetes have lower GLP-1 production, causing the pancreas to produce insufficient amounts of insulin.

Onglyza prevents the body’s blood sugar levels from rising to dangerous levels, by signaling the body to make adequate insulin amounts.

Incretin mimetics are relatively new to the diabetes treatment market, which gained popularity after the release of Avandia. However Avandia was recalled due to the significant increased risk of cardiac death, which put the medical community on alert.

Over the years there have been serious Onglyza adverse effects reported, with most cases resulting in chronic health complications compounding the patients’ diabetic conditions.

Overview of Onglyza Adverse Effects

Onglyza adverse effects most recently came under fire in April 2015, when the FDA warned the medication’s warning label should be updated to include increased risk of heart failure.

This warning came after the agency reviewed the 2013 SAVOR study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, consisting of 16,000 patients who were prescribed Onglyza and another diabetes treatment drug.

The study found that Onglyza patients had a 27% increased risk of being hospitalized for heart failure. Reports of other serious Onglyza adverse effects include:

• Pancreatic Cancer and Pancreatitis: The FDA warned against these Onglyza adverse effects in March 2013, following a study published in the medical journal Diabetes. The study had analyzed 20 diabetic patients, eight of who had been prescribed an incretin mimetic medication. Researchers had found incretin mimetic patients had a 40% increased risk of pancreatic problems, compared to the control group.

• Thyroid Cancer: The FDA first began investigating this alleged correlation in 2009, with the agency eventually releasing a public safety warning in 2011. The agency released this public warning after several studies had found incretin mimetics had showed an increased risk for thyroid cancer. One of the studies published in Gastroenterology, indicating that those taking incretin mimetic Byetta were almost five times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than the control group.

Even though these Onglyza adverse effects may be seriously dangerous to patients, Pfizer and Bristol Myers allegedly failed to disclose this information to the public. Patients who allegedly developed serious Onglyza adverse effects may be able to file legal action against the manufacturing companies.

Potential claimants can contact a specialized lawyer to determine eligibility for an Onglyza lawsuit.