Research into the risk of Onglyza pancreatic cancer has some type-2 diabetes patients concerned that they may not have been properly warned about the drug’s potential complications.

Onglyza is also known by the generic name saxagliptin. It’s been on the market since the FDA first approved it in 2009. It’s now approved to help persons with type-2 diabetes reduce the high levels of blood sugar associated with that condition.

Onglyza is one of a group of relatively newer diabetes medications known as incretin-based therapies. These drugs lower blood sugar by increasing the effect of incretin hormones.

Incretins stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, which in turn makes the body’s tissues absorb more glucose from the blood.

In part because Onglyza helps patients control blood sugar without promoting weight gain, it’s become very popular among type-2 diabetes patients. Annual sales of Onglyza could reach well over $2 billion by 2018, according to some projections.

Researchers Investigate the Risk of Onglyza Pancreatic Cancer

The trouble with Onglyza could have to do with the effect it has on pancreatic cells. While research into the side effects of Onglyza is still relatively new, some studies suggest the possibility of pancreatic cancer could be linked to incretin-based drugs, like Onglyza.

One study published in the journal Diabetes in 2013 examined pancreatic tissue from several deceased diabetes patients who had been treated with incretin-based medications.

Researchers reported several findings that suggested unusual growth of pancreatic tissue. The patients who had used incretin therapies had roughly a 40 percent greater pancreatic mass than others who had used different treatments or none at all.

Researchers noted a six-fold increase in pancreatic beta cell mass in incretin patients. They also reported finding hyperplasia of pancreatic alpha cells, with the possibility of evolving into neuroendocrine tumors.

Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the deadliest types of cancer. It typically does not produce symptoms until it has reached an advanced stage – at which point it’s difficult to treat effectively and the patient has significantly lower odds of survival. Doctors can still treat the condition using some combination of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

A projection for 2013 by the National Cancer Institute anticipated that 45,000 U.S. patients would be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and that over 38,000 would die from it.

FDA Warns About Pancreatitis

Other medical evidence suggests a link between Onglyza and pancreatitis, which could be a precursor to Onglyza pancreatic cancer. A couple years after Onglyza was approved, the FDA added a warning about pancreatitis to the warnings and precautions section in the drug information for Onglyza.

The FDA said it had received post-market reports of pancreatitis that occurred in conjunction with Onglyza treatment. The agency also applied the same warning and label change to Kombiglyze XR, a drug that uses saxagliptin in combination with a different diabetes drug known as metformin.

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that can require hospitalization and lead to further complications. More advanced cases of pancreatitis may end in death, or they could lead to development of pancreatic cancer.

If you or someone you love has suffered from pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer after using an incretin medication like Onglyza, you may be eligible to file a legal claim. A specialized Onglyza lawyer can help you decide if a lawsuit is right for you.