En Español
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that affects some 25 million Americans a year. Most of the time, diabetes patients need more than one type of medication in order to treat the condition. In some cases, insulin is required. Both blood sugar levels and the hormone insulin must be stabilized in the treatment of the condition. There are many drugs on the market to treat diabetes, and some have been given warnings by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Medical News Today reports on two diabetes drugs which are being investigated by the FDA for a link to pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
In 2013, a study that was published in JAMA’s Internal Medicine linked a higher risk of pancreatitis in patients who took the drugs Januvia and Byetta than those who did not.
Januvia is an oral antihyperglycemic. It can be used alone or in conjunction with other oral antihyperglycemic agents, like metformin. Byetta is a glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist that is administered twice a day by injection.
Januvia is manufactured by Merck and Byetta is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Both companies were quick to defend their drugs after a study that looked at medical insurance records. Merck stated that they found “no compelling evidence establishing a causal relationship” between Januvia and the development of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
In 2007, the FDA added information linking Byetta to increased risk of pancreatitis to the drug’s label. In 2009, the agency added similar warnings to the labels of Januvia and Janumet.
The FDA also cautioned those taking the drugs to continue taking their medication until they could speak with their healthcare provider.
Have you developed pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer while taking the drugs Januvia or Byetta? We can help. Call today.
