FDA Examining Link Between Diabetes Drugs & Pancreatitis
By Courtney Coren
With diabetes on the rise in the United States, pharmaceutical companies have developed new drugs to combat it. In the United States alone, 25 to 30 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, while 80 million have pre-diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is self-induced, usually brought on by obesity. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children with several possible causes.
Merck introduced Januvia as an option for those suffering from type 2 diabetes. Januvia (sitagliptin) and Janumet (sitagliptin/metformin) are members of a new group of diabetes drugs that work by helping to control blood sugar for those suffering from type 2 diabetes.
According to the Januvia website, the medication works by “increasing the insulin made by your pancreas when blood sugar is high” and “reducing the amount of sugar made by your liver.”
The problem with Januvia, Janumet and other diabetes medications that are in the same class of oral diabetes medications called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is that patients who are on these medications have a higher rate of acute pancreatitis. The drugs may also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer.
Due to these grim reports, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has begun a safety review for Januvia and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Byetta and Bydureon, which are in the same class of diabetes medications.
The FDA is examining research that shows the link between DPP-4 diabetes drugs and pancreatic cancer. What this research shows is that the cancer caused by Januvia and other related drugs begins at the cellular level.
According to the FDA, they are currently “evaluating unpublished new findings by a group of academic researchers that suggest an increased risk of pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, and pre-cancerous cellular changes called pancreatic duct metaplasia in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with a class of drugs called incretin mimetics.”
The FDA has issued a report on 88 cases of pancreatitis between October 2006 and February 2009. Of the 88 cases, 66 needed to be hospitalized, and four had to be admitted to intensive care units. Twenty-one percent of those who were diagnosed with pancreatitis developed it within 30 days from the time they started taking Januvia. And in a little over half of the cases, the pancreatitis stopped when they stopped taking Januvia.
Pancreatitis symptoms to look for include severe pain the upper abdominal area, nausea with vomiting, blood pressure that is too high or low, and a rapid heartbeat or breathing.
If you or someone you know has suffered from pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer or other serious side effects as a result of taking a type-2 diabetes drug such as Januvia or Byetta, legal options are available to you. Learn more and get a free consultation regarding a claim’s eligibility at the Type 2 Diabetes Drugs Januvia, Byetta Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Experienced legal professionals have access to medical experts to assess whether or not this type 2 diabetes medication played a role in your illness, so act now.
Updated April 12th, 2013
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One thought on FDA Examining Link Between Diabetes Drugs & Pancreatitis
Betty(also name as Elizabeth) Homa died March 19,2011 of pancreatic cancer. She was using Januavia in 2009 ans 2010. She was on it for a year or so. She was found to have cancer in Jan.2011 and lived till March 19,2011. She was healthy until Jan.2011