Husband Sues Diabetes Drug Makers Following Wife’s Death

Darrell Stevenson alleges in the diabetes drug lawsuit that his late wife, Debra Stevenson, took Janumet (a successor of Januvia), Victoza and Byetta to help lower blood sugar levels for her type-2 diabetes. She was later diagnosed with fatal pancreatic cancer. The defendants in the lawsuit include Merck, Novo Nordisk, Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly.

Stevenson claims in the lawsuit that the actions of the drug makers included “wrongful acts, omissions, and fraudulent representation,” and Stevenson isn’t alone. Hundreds of people nationwide have filed drug injury lawsuits claiming the companies did not adequately warn of the risk of pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer caused by their diabetes medications.

Fatal Side Effects of Janumet, Victoza, Byetta

Mrs. Stevenson began taking Janumet, Victoza and Byetta in July 2011 and stopped in January 2012 — just over six months. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer around Christmas time, which is also when she began suffering severe pain.

Stevenson claims in the diabetes drug lawsuit that the companies directly caused the death of his wife and that the “design, development, manufacturing, testing, packaging, promoting, marketing, distributing, labeling and sale” of the drugs is dangerous.

According to the American Diabetes Association, type-2 diabetes is a chronic condition and the most common form of diabetes. It’s also the most “frequent cause of blindness, amputations and dialysis worldwide.” Janumet, Januvia’s later cousin, became available in the U.S. in 2007 to treat type-2 diabetes. However, reports such as the February 2011 article in Gastroenterology warned of the risks of pancreatic cancer, including a 10-fold increased risk for those who take Janumet.

Drug Warnings Inadequate, Lawsuit Says

According to Stevenson’s lawsuit, the “current warnings for the drugs are simply inadequate. The defendants have failed and continue to fail in their duties to warn and protect the consuming public, including Mrs. Stevenson.” Stevenson claims that the actions of the companies made his wife and her physicians unaware of the real risks.

While the drug makers have “enjoyed great financial success from their blockbuster drug, they continue to place American citizens at risk of developing deadly pancreatic cancer,” Stevenson says.

He is suing for failure to warn, design defect, negligence, breach of warranty, fraudulent concealment, loss of consortium, and punitive damages.

The Janumet/Byetta/Victoza cancer lawsuit is Darrell Stevenson, et al. v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., et al., Case No. 13-cv-0817 MMAWMC, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California.