Wife Blames Merck for Husband’s Januvia Pancreatic Cancer Death

Upon the direction of his physician for long-term maintenance of his type-2 diabetes, Irving Tanowitz began taking Januvia on November 12, 2007 and continued taking it until August 2011. As a direct result of the ingestion of Januvia, the decedent was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on August 2010, the lawsuit claims.

The Januvia lawsuit added that the decedent was “permanently and severely injured having suffered consequences from decedent’s usage of the drug, including but not limited to the development of pancreatic cancer, which led to his untimely death on October 9, 2011.”

The plaintiff claims that had the decedent and his physician been properly warned regarding the risk of Januvia pancreatic cancer, his physician would have not prescribed and ingested Januvia.

Januvia is in the class of oral diabetes medications called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), also known as incretin mimetics, which work by helping to control blood sugar for those suffering from type-2 diabetes. They increase the production of insulin and stop the pancreas from releasing too much glucagon—key hormones for metabolizing glucose as well as maintaining a steady glucose level in the blood.

The Januvia lawsuit cited the February 2011 work of Elashoff et al. entitled “Pancreatitis, pancreatic, and thyroid cancer with glucagon-like peptide-1-based therapies” published in Gastroenterology where researchers “reported the pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, was >6-fold more frequently reported in patients prescribed Januvia. This association was statistically significant.”

According to the research, persons who were prescribed and ingested Januvia for even a brief period of time, including the decedent, were at increased risk of developing life-threatening pancreatic cancer. According to the Januvia lawsuit, once pancreatic cancer spreads, a patient stands just a 1.8 percent chance of surviving for longer than five years.

The Januvia lawsuit alleges that Merck concealed its knowledge that Januvia can cause life-threatening pancreatic cancer from decedent, other consumers, the general public and the medical community. Partially as a result of this deception, the company continues to enjoy great financial success. Januvia alone brought in $919 million in sales for Merck during the first quarter of 2012.

The plaintiff is seeking punitive damages, medical expenses, legal fees, other economic damages and other relief that the court may deem necessary.

The Januvia lawsuit is Lillian Tanowitz v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., et al., Case No. 3:13-cv-02338-AJB-MDD, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

If you or someone you know has suffered from pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer or other serious side effects as a result of taking the Januvia type-2 diabetes drug, 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 who can assess whether or not this type-2 diabetes medication played a role in your illness, so act now.