Onglyza, a type-2 diabetes drug, has become a popular option since its FDA approval in 2009. Unfortunately, a growing number of patients are reporting suffering from side effects of Onglyza, including major risks like heart failure.

In response to these reports, the FDA has required the drug’s manufacturers to update its warning label to reflect these risks. Some patients have turned to litigation, alleging that they were not adequately warned about the risk they faced of heart-related side effects of Onglyza.

Background of Onglyza

Onglyza (also known by its generic name, saxagliptin) is jointly manufactured by pharmaceutical giants AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb. It is a relatively new drug, and was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009 as a treatment for type-2 diabetes.

Onglyza is part of a class of diabetes drugs known as incretin mimetics. Incretin mimetics stimulate the release of insulin, meant to help regulate a patient’s blood sugar level.

For many, Onglyza can seem like an attractive option. Indeed, unlike many diabetes drugs, Onglyza is not attached to weight gain. However, patients may not know that the risks Onglyza is actually associated with may be much more severe than simple weight gain—and, in fact, may even be life-threatening.

Major Side Effects of Onglyza

While any medication will come with certain risks, drug side effects should be adequately warned about so that doctors and patients can make a fully informed decision. However, patients claim that they were not given adequate warning about some of the most major side effects of Onglyza, including the risk of heart failure and other heart-related complications.

Heart failure is a serious and life-threatening medical condition in which the heart becomes so weak that it cannot adequately pump blood throughout the body. High blood pressure or coronary artery disease can eventually lead to heart failure by gradually weakening the heart.

Heart failure is certainly not always a fatal complication. Unfortunately, those who survive heart failure usually have to make significant changes to their daily life, such as changes to diet, exercise, and stress in order to reduce their risk of further complications.

The FDA warned Onglyza manufacturers in April 2015 to include an increased risk of heart failure to Onglyza’s warning label.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Side Effects of Onglyza

A growing number of diabetes patients are coming forward, alleging that Onglyza directly led to major side effects, including heart failure. Some patients choose to file lawsuits over side effects of Onglyza against the manufacturers, AstraZeneca and Bristol-Meyers Squibb, for failing to adequately warn and inform the medical community and consumers of potential heightened risk factors of their drug.

If you or someone you love has suffered from heart failure or other serious side effects of Onglyza, you may be able to take legal action. Filing an Onglyza lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by side effects of Onglyza, or bring a loved one back to life, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.