New research indicates that patients could be at risk of developing a diabetes drug genital infection.

A recent USA Today story profiles the risks of diabetes drug genital infection. According to the report, some of the most popular drugs linked to diabetes drug genital infection include Farxiga, Jardiance, and Invokana.

The Food and Drug Administration says that the manufacturers of these medications are responsible for warning prospective patients and physicians about the risk of deadly flesh-eating genital infections. According to the FDA, current recipients of the drug might not be aware of the connection with the diabetes drug genital infection dangers.

Several different medications are affected by the risk profile with the diabetes drug genital infection, including those known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (sglt2) inhibitors. These diabetes drugs are used in the treatment of type-2 diabetes. More than a dozen different drugs could be impacted by the risk of a diabetes drug genital infection and patients who are taking them are recommended to contact their physicians immediately.

The diabetes drug genital infection is also known as Fournier’s gangrene or the necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum. Usually, the bacteria that can cause this type of infection will enter through a cut and quickly spread throughout the body. A diagnosis of diabetes is a risk factor for someone to develop Fournier’s gangrene.

A 2012 study indicates that this diabetes drug infection is rare but has a mortality rate of higher than 20 percent. This condition might also be referred to as a flesh-eating bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA reportedly discovered 12 different cases of the diabetes drug genital infection. These cases included patients taking an SGLT2 inhibitor for longer than five years between March 2013 and May 2018. According to the FDA’s diabetes drug genital infection analysis, after more than 30 years of patients taking other anti-diabetic drug classes, there were only 6 recorded cases of a similar infection. All of the patients identified in the FDA study as having a diabetes drug genital infection had to undergo surgery. Several of those surgeries left disfiguring results and one patient died, according to the report.

Regulators are currently pushing for a way to include the risk of diabetes drug genital infection on the labeling on the exterior of the medication.

The FDA also shared that, in the cases explored by the agency, the infections developed within a few months of the patients beginning an SGLT2 inhibitor. Most of those cases involved the patient discontinuing use of the drug based on the risks factors presented for the genital infection.

Patients considering an SGLT2 inhibitor for diabetes treatment should be aware of the risks.  Those patients who are experiencing redness, tenderness, or swelling of the genitals or who have a fever of above 100.4 F should seek medical treatment immediately if they are using these diabetes drugs.

The patients in this situation could be at risk of developing a life threatening diabetes drug genital infection and must educate themselves on the possible side effects and symptoms of this condition.

Join a Free Diabetes Medications & Flesh-Eating Infection Lawsuit Investigation

The type-2 diabetes medications linked to the flesh-eating infection include:

• Invokana
• Invokamet/Invokamet XR
• Farxiga
• Xigduo XR
• Qtern
• Jardiance
• Glyxambi
• Synjardy/Synjardy XR
• Steglato
• Segluromet
• Steglujan

If you or a loved one took one of the type-2 diabetes medications listed above and suffered from a flesh-eating genital infection, you may qualify to join this diabetes medication lawsuit investigation. Fill out the FREE form on this page for more information.

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