Januvia Side Effects Scrutinized by FDA

In 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued a letter to the makers of Januvia, Merck and Company. This letter called on Merck to change many of their marketing practices for a number of drugs, including Januvia. The letter stated that the FDA’s marketing and surveillance program had found that various advertisements by Merck had left out critical safety information, including contraindication and limitations related to their drugs.

Specifically, the FDA had found that advertisements for Januvia failed to include the fact that Januvia is not intended for the treatment of type-1 diabetes and “has not been studied in combination with insulin.” Additionally, the advertisements failed to also mention the full name of the drug (sitagliptin). The FDA was particularly concerned with the fact that the Januvia advertising failed to mention the limitations of the drug’s efficacy.

Additionally, in 2013, the FDA has issued statements that incretin mimetic drugs like Januvia are being evaluated due to a possible link between these drugs and several type of cancer. The FDA’s statement mentioned that the agency was evaluating several unpublished studies that suggested Januvia and related drugs increased the risk of pancreatitis and pre-cancerous cellular changes in patients. As of that press release, the FDA had not recommended that patients stop taking their medication without consulting their physicians since the information was still being evaluated.

Various studies have found a link between Januvia and a number of serious medical conditions, including cancer of the thyroid and pancreas. Januvia has also been linked to serious pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. This can cause serious pain for the patient, and can even be fatal in and of itself.

Dozens of Januvia cancer lawsuits have been launched against Merck by victims of cancer and their families. These Januvia lawsuits allege that Merck was aware, or should have been aware of the serious medical risks associated with their drug.

Januvia lawsuits further allege that the manufacturer failed to act on these risks, or even actively downplayed the risks, as indicated by the 2009 FDA letter. This would prevent patients and their prescribing physicians from having the information they needed from having the information they needed to make informed medical decisions.

If you or someone you love took Januvia and went on to suffer from serious side effects like thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, or another serious medical complication, you may feel overwhelmed. Januvia side effects can completely take over your life. But you need to remember that you have rights, and there are steps you can take to regain control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Type 2 Diabetes Drugs Januvia, Byetta Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Learn more about the side effects of Januvia and the legal steps you can take to get the compensation you deserve.