Minnesota Man Blames Byetta for Wife’s Pancreatic Cancer

Minnesota plaintiff Wayne Blomgren is suing Amylin Pharmaceutics and Eli Lilly & Co. for the wrongful death of his wife Mary Blomgren. Wayne alleges that his wife developed pancreatic cancer after taking the type-2 diabetes drug Byetta.

Mary was first prescribed Byetta on July 31, 2007, and continued to take the drug through April 18, 2012, the day she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She had been experiencing mild pain and other symptoms, which prompted the medical exam that led to the diagnosis. Mary ultimately died from pancreatic cancer on January 23, 2013.

After his wife’s death, Wayne discovered that Byetta could possibly cause pancreatic cancer in some patients. According to the Byetta lawsuit, had his wife known about these risks, she would have opted for a different type-2 diabetes medication.

Blomgren alleges that the companies either knew or should have known about this possible Byetta side effect and had the responsibility to warn his wife and other patients who use this medication of the possibility of developing Byetta pancreatic cancer.

Blomgren is suing Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly & Company for negligence, alleging that the companies are directly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous product. Other charges he is alleging include false advertising, misrepresenting a product and concealing information.

Overview of Byetta Complications

Byetta was first approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2005 to treat type-2 diabetes. The medication was designed to help regulate blood sugar levels by helping control the level of insulin the body produces. Byetta is a part of a drug family that was recently approved by the FDA to treat type-2 diabetes called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor (GLP-1R) agonists. Ideally, with healthy diet and exercise, a type-2 diabetes patient could live a normal lifestyle, and not worry about their diabetic condition cutting their life short.

Byetta and other GLP-1R drugs have come under legal fire due to the growing number of injury reports indicating that they could possibly cause pancreatic cancer. According to a recent study which used data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), the use of Byetta had a high correlation with patients who later developed pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer. The primary goal of this study was to learn if there was an increased risk of pancreatic cancer associated with Byetta when compared to other type-2 diabetes medications.

Despite the scientific evidence indicating a possible link to pancreatic cancer, the defendants have chosen to aggressively advertise Byetta without properly describing the side effects. Byetta is one of the best-selling drugs in the country, with $710 million in sales in 2010, and is projected to climb up to $1 billion by 2015.

This Byetta lawsuit is Wayne Blomgren v. Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly & Company, Case No. 3:13-cv-02396-AJB-MDD, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. 

File a Januvia Lawsuit

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of Januvia or Byetta complications, you have legal options. Please visit the Type 2 Diabetes Drugs Januvia, Byetta, Victoza Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned Januvia or Byetta lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The Januvia and Byetta attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.