When patients visit their doctor for diagnosis and treatment of a medical condition, they often don’t realize that sometimes they can be trading one problem for another.

Sometimes, the treatments for conditions themselves can spark the development of other disease processes-some which may even be as serious as the initial condition itself.

What is Onglyza?

Take the side effects of Onglyza, for example. Onglyza, known generically as saxagliptin, is an oral diabetes medication used to treat patients specifically suffering from type-2 diabetes.

Combined with a healthy diet and moderate exercise, Onglyza has been life-changing for some patients whose blood sugar levels were unable to be controlled by other means.

Onglyza is praised for its ability to maintain blood sugar levels and not cause hypoglycemic reactions in patients like other oral diabetes drugs do. It also tends not to cause weight gain for most patients, unlike other diabetes medications.

Onglyza belongs to a class of medications known as DPP-4 inhibitors, also known as incretin mimetics.

As Onglyza inhibits the DPP-4 enzyme, it slows the breakdown of incretin hormones, thus increasing the level of insulin hormones in the body. Those higher levels of insulin help discharge excess sugar out of the blood.

Side Effects of Onglyza

While some patients feel they have a second chance at life with the benefit Onglyza has provided for them in their treatment of type-2 diabetes, other patients try to do all they can to share the serious side effects of Onglyza they personally experienced.

Several serious conditions are linked with side effects of Onglyza. One such condition is heart failure.

In April 2015, the FDA issued a warning about Onglyza and the increased risk of heart failure. Often thought to refer to the heart stopping beating or a heart attack, heart failure actually refers to a condition in which the body cannot pump enough blood to meet up with the body’s demands.

Some studies suggest that side effects of Onglyza may also be associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most severe types of cancer because when it is diagnosed, it is usually only in its later stages and the prognosis is very poor. Early symptoms of pancreatic cancer are relatively nonspecific to the disease and me easily be missed.

In addition to pancreatic cancer, another of the potential side effects of Onglyza is pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. Sometimes pancreatitis is a precursor to the cancerous changes that happened in the pancreas leading to pancreatic cancer. Other times, it is a standalone condition experienced by patients.

Filing an Onglyza Lawsuit

Patients who have experienced pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer or heart failure that they believe may be side effects of Onglyza may be eligible to pursue legal compensation from the drug’s manufacturer.

Plaintiffs who go on to file product liability lawsuits against drug manufacturers after experiencing severe side effects often allege the manufacturer did not properly warn patients and physicians of the severe side effects associated with the particular’s use.

These patients have sued to reclaim damages due to physical and emotional pain, medical expenses, loss of companionship with the spouse and more. Many also seek punitive damages to issue a punishment to the manufacturer as well.

Potential plaintiffs may consult with an experienced attorney at no cost to determine if they have a valid legal claim before proceeding.