Byetta®, Januvia® or Janumet®
Ury & Moskow, LLC Is Reviewing Cases Of Patients Who Developed Pancreatic Cancer After Taking Byetta®, Januvia® or Janumet®.
Januvia®, Janumet®, and Byetta® are all members of a new class of diabetes treatments known as “incretins.” These drugs simulate a hormone in the gut known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) which is secreted by L-type endocrine cells in the small intestine in response to food ingestion and amplify insulin secretion. In other words, the incretin drugs tell the patient’s pancreas to produce more insulin, thereby reducing blood sugar levels. Byetta® (also known as Exenatide) is an injectable drug and has been on the market in the United States since 2005. Januvia® (sitagliptin phosphate) is a tablet and has been on the market in the United States since 2006; Janumet® is a combination pill that contains both Januvia and the diabetes drug Metformin.
After these drugs were introduced into the market, clinical studies and spontaneous adverse experience reports indicated that these incretin drug products are associated with an increased risk of pancreatitis, a serious and potentially deadly inflammation of the pancreas. In 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration ordered the makers of Byetta®, Januvia®, and Janumet® to begin warning patients and their doctors about the potential risk of pancreatitis associated with the use of these medicines. Since 2009, however, additional research has indicated that the mechanism by which these drug products could cause inflammation of the pancreas could also cause patients to develop pancreatic cancer, a catastrophic and usually fatal condition. One recent study suggests that regular use of incretin drugs may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly 300%. The makers of these drug products have failed to warn patients and their doctors about the potential risk of pancreatic cancer associated with the use of Byetta®, Januvia®, and Janumet®.
The risk of developing pancreatic cancer while taking Byetta®, Januvia®, or Janumet® is likely related to how long an individual has been taking those products. So, while studies are still ongoing, it is important that you also contact your doctor to discuss the implications of this developing information about Byetta®, Januvia®, or Janumet® on your health and diabetes treatment. Be sure to speak to your doctor before discontinuing any medical treatment prescribed by your doctor.
The lawyers at Ury & Moskow, LLC have been leaders in pursuing lawsuits involving unsafe and defective drugs and medical devices. We are now reviewing individual cases involving patients who have developed pancreatic cancer after taking Byetta®, Januvia®, and Janumet®. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while taking Byetta®, Januvia®, and Janumet®, we urge you to contact us for a free evaluation of your potential case. We have a toll-free (no-cost) telephone number to reach an attorney to answer your questions with regard to your specific case. That number is 1-888-LAW-4335.
If you would prefer, please feel free to fill out the “contact us” form on our website. Please, be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and the exact nature of your question so that our lawyer can provide you with the specific information you seek.