AstraZeneca’s prescription medication Onglyza, used to treat type-2 diabetes, may cause an increase in certain cardiovascular events and could even result in heart failure.

Onglyza is used to control high blood sugar in patients with type-2 diabetes. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently begun investigating concerns that Onglyza and certain other diabetes medications may be one of the causes of heart failure.

What is Onglyza?

Onglyza is the brand name for a type-2 diabetes medication that regulates the levels of insulin a patient’s body produces. Onglyza and other drugs with the same active ingredient, saxagliptin, are popular medications because they can effectively help control blood sugar without encouraging weight gain as other diabetes medications often can.

AstraZeneca received FDA approval to bring the drug to market in 2009. While the drug has been shown to improve blood glucose levels in patients, it has not been without controversy. Some injured patients have alleged in Onglyza lawsuits that AstraZeneca may have withheld important data regarding the potential link between Onglyza and heart failure.

Onglyza and Heart Failure Risks

These risks are based on a 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), which found that, compared to a placebo, saxagliptin resulted in a 27 percent increase in the rate of patient hospitalization for heart failure. The study also found that saxagliptin users had increased risk for all-cause mortality.

Based on the NEJM study findings, the FDA convened a meeting of its Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee in April 2015 to assess the risk of saxagliptin and heart failure. 14 of 15 committee panelists voted for an updated Onglyza label that warns about the increased risk of saxagliptin and heart failure when using Onglyza. One panel member voted to withdraw Onglyza from the U.S. market.

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure occurs when the heart is weakened and no longer pumps blood as effectively as it should. This condition can prevent the different organ systems of the body from receiving the oxygen and nutrients that they need. Heart failure is typically the result of adverse health conditions, such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure, that can gradually leave your heart muscles weakened.

While the exact causes of heart failure in diabetic patients vary, signs and symptoms indicative of diabetes and heart failure may include shortness of breath (dyspnea), fatigue, weakness, and swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet. This can make daily activities extremely difficult — especially climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or walking.

Researchers have found that patients who have been prescribed Onglyza or similar DPP-4 inhibitor medications are at an increased risk of heart failure.

Diabetes and Heart Failure Lawsuits

Many patients have come forward to file heart failure lawsuits after experiencing complications from Onglyza and other similar drugs such as Kombiglyze XR. These claims allege that the pharmaceutical manufacturers failed to inform doctors and patients alike of the increased risk of these complications.

If you were prescribed Onglyza for the treatment of diabetes and experienced severe side effects such as cardiovascular disease or heart failure, you may be entitled to compensation for the cost of medical care, pain and suffering and any additional financial losses you may be forced to incur in the present or the future.