Kombiglyze XR is a combination of two different diabetes medications — saxagliptin and metformin.

Metformin, an older diabetes medication in use since the 1950s, works by managing the way the liver responds to insulin.

Saxagliptin, also sold on its own under the brand name Onglyza, is one of a newer type of diabetes medications known as incretin mimetics. These drugs work by imitating the action of incretin hormones, which help the body manage the increase in blood sugar that happens after meals.

Kombiglyze prevents a particular enzyme, known as DPP-4, from blocking the action of an incretin hormone called GLP-1 that stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin. With more GLP-1 functioning, the pancreas produces more insulin, stimulating the body to absorb more sugar out of the bloodstream.

Kombiglyze also reduces the amount of sugar produced by the liver by preventing the pancreas from producing more glucagon.

Kombiglyze Side Effects in the Pancreas

Since Kombiglyze has been on the market for only a few years, the long-term consequences of its use aren’t fully known yet. Some studies have suggested a possible connection between Kombiglyze and pancreatic cancer.

A study published in the March 2013 issue of Diabetes revealed pre-cancerous cells in the pancreases of diabetes patients who had taken incretin-based medications.

Researchers noted that the mass of certain cells known as beta cells increased in patients who took incretin drugs, an effect not observed in other patients. They also noted an increase in hyperplasia of other cells known as alpha cell, with the potential for further evolution into neuroendocrine tumors.

Other studies conducted around roughly the same time yielded similar suggestions of a possible link between incretin drugs and pancreatic cancer. In March 2013, the FDA took note of these findings and announced its own review of the relevant scientific evidence.

The agency noted unpublished studies that suggested a possible increased risk of pre-cancerous cellular changes. The studies also found an associated increase in the occurrence of pancreatitis, which itself is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

Other drugs in the incretin mimetic class have been associated with increased risks of pancreatitis and some cases of pancreatic cancer, according to reports in the FDA’s adverse event reporting database.

Pancreatic cancer is a particularly deadly form of cancer. In most cases, by the time cancer is discovered in the pancreas, it has already spread to other parts of the body. For patients in whom the cancer has not spread, surgical removal of the pancreas may resolve the cancer – but only 15 to 20 percent of such surgical patients survive for five more years. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may prolong life, but they cannot cure the cancer.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer generally do not appear until the tumor has grown quite large – another reason the disease can evade early detection. Patients then usually develop severe upper abdominal pain, sometimes felt in the middle of the back.

They can also suffer from jaundice, nausea and vomiting, abdominal swelling, discolored urine or stool, swollen lymph nodes, itchy palms or feet, or generally feeling unenergetic or unwell.

If you or a loved one has suffered from pancreatic cancer or other Kombiglyze side effects after taking the diabetes medication, an experienced dangerous drug attorney can evaluate your case for free and advise you if filing a Kombiglyze lawsuit is right for you.