Victoza Lawsuit Filed Over Pancreatic Cancer Death

Victoza Lawsuit Filed Over Pancreatic Cancer Death

By Amanda Antell

New York plaintiff Jessica Ryan is suing Novo Nordisk for the wrongful death of her mother, Patricia Ryan. Jessica alleges that in direct consequence of taking Victoza, her mother developed pancreatic cancer, which ultimately resulted in her death.

According to the Victoza lawsuit, Patricia was initially prescribed Victoza in October 2011, and continued its use through June 2012. She was reportedly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2011 and passed away on May 19, 2013.

Jessica is suing Novo Nordisk for manufacturing, selling, distributing and marketing a dangerous drug. The charges in the Victoza lawsuit include negligence, false advertising, misrepresenting a product and concealing information.

Overview of Victoza Complications

On Jan. 25, 2010, Victoza (liraglutide) was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as a type-2 diabetes treatment medication. Victoza surpassed $1 billion in sales during the fiscal year of 2011. It has become recognized for its ability to level a patient’s blood sugar levels and ensures that the body produces the adequate amount of insulin to prevent diabetic attacks. As more than 350 million people have type-2 diabetes worldwide, it is considered one of the major health concerns of the 21st century. Ideally, Victoza would have helped prevent some of these patients from suffering diabetic complications.

Instead, Victoza has recently come under inspection for having a possible link with the development of pancreatic cancer in patients. Upon further investigation, it was found that Victoza had been approved under the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy consisting of a medication guide and communications plan. Essentially, the FDA approved Victoza despite the fact that the drug had not undergone sufficient pre-clinical trials. The FDA states that the need for a new type-2 diabetes treatment drug was high at the time of the drug’s approval, but acknowledges that the drug is in need of post-market studies.

When it was initially approved, there reportedly had been a warning on the drug’s label indicating that the drug actually did cause pancreatic tumors in lab rodents. When Victoza came out, this warning was not included on the drug’s label, nor was any other mention of the possible risk of pancreatic cancer. 

This Victoza pancreatic cancer lawsuit is Jessica Ryan v. Novo Nordisk, Case No. 3:13-cv-02384-AJB-MDD, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. 

File a Victoza Lawsuit Today

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of Victoza 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 Victoza 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 pancreatic cancer attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.