While diabetes can have severe complications, diabetes medications, including Onglyza and others like it, are potentially more dangerous than diabetes itself.

Onglyza is ranked sixth among the top 10 most dangerous diabetes drugs, eMaxHealth is reporting.

Diabetes can come with severe complications. It is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations, and is the seventh leading cause of death.

Many people who suffer from diabetes rely on medications, but experts say that it can be more important to focus on a healthy diet, exercise, and necessary supplements. Drug companies have been accused of skewing results to make certain studies look more promising, or even paying other companies to move around numbers in research.

Onglyza Side Effects

Onglyza (saxagliptin) was created by AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb as a diabetes treatment. Onglyza works to control a diabetes patient’s blood sugar. Unlike many other diabetes drugs, Onglyza does not encourage weight gain, which can be a major concern for diabetes patients.

Onglyza has been popular since its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009. In 2012 alone, Onglyza brought in a hefty $709 million. Sales continue to increase, and in the next few years are projected to hit $2 billion yearly.

Onglyza, as well as other Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, works by keeping the hormone incretin from breaking down. This both stimulates the production of insulin and slows digestion.

The side effects of Onglyza include the following:

• Respiratory and urinary tract infections (UTI)
• Pancreatitis
• Pancreatic or thyroid cancer
• High blood pressure
• Headache
• Anemia
• Severe/disabling joint pain
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Other

The possible increased risk of pancreatitis, as well as pancreatic and thyroid cancers, are especially concerning to doctors. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

More than that, survival statistics for pancreatic cancer patients have not improved in decades. Patients with pancreatic cancer have very few treatment options, and the disease is often fatal.

The FDA reported in 2014 that another potentially fatal Onglyza side effect is heart failure.

Onglyza Lawsuits

Many who took Onglyza or a similar diabetes drug and developed pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer as a result have filed Onglyza lawsuits against the drug’s makers. These Onglyza lawsuits allege that the drug companies failed to adequately warn of the risk.

These kinds of diabetes medication lawsuits allege that the drug manufacturers marketed their medications despite having knowledge of their dangers.

If you or someone you know has suffered from heart failure, pancreatitis, cancer, or other serious side effects after using Onglyza, you may be able to take legal action.