The type-2 diabetes drug Onglyza has been linked to serious side effects including heart failure, leading the Food and Drug Administration in April to issue a public warning.

The FDA reached this conclusion after analyzing clinical trials of Onglyza, and finding a significant correlation with heart attacks.The agency pointed out that Onglyza patients faced a 27% increased risk of heart failure or being hospitalized for this complication compared to those took a placebo.

The 2013 study, which involved 16,492 patients, was actually meant to test if Onglyza provided cardiac benefits in addition to its blood-sugar controlling mechanism. The researchers instead found an increased risk of heart failure.The recommendation was made that Onglyza should not be prescribed to patients with a history of heart problems or with a family history of cardiac complications.

Overview of Onglyza and DPP-4 Inhibitor Concern

Manufactured by AstraZeneca, Onglyza belongs to the DPP-4 inhibitor drug family and was approved by the FDA in 2009. These drugs are incretin-based treatment therapies, and work by signaling the pancreas to produce more insulin and stop the liver from making excess amounts of sugar.

DPP-4 inhibitors are enzymes that naturally occurs in the body, which work by breaking down an incretin hormone GLP-1, which signals the pancreas to make insulin.

This ensures healthy blood-sugar levels, and prevents diabetic attacks. These drugs were advertised to be miracle drugs for type-2 diabetes patients due to their fast diabetic attack prevention methods.

Scientists declared them the biggest medical breakthrough for diabetes treatment since insulin was discovered. Onglyza is amongst these medications because it is so effective at controlling blood sugar and does not encourage weight gain.

But Onglyza and other DPP-4 inhibitors have been associated with devastating side effects including pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, thyroid cancer, and heart failure.Many users have complained that none of these side effects were mentioned on the drug’s label, and have criticized the manufacturing company for this omission.

Some consumers and lawyers accuse AstraZenca and other DPP-4 inhibitor manufacturers of deliberately concealing this information, in order to protect their products’ market value.