Onglyza, also known as saxagliptin, is a prescription drug used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes; however, the medication has been linked to pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, heart failure, and risks affecting the cardiovascular system. Affected patients and families may be eligible to recover compensation for damages with the help of a Kansas Onglyza lawsuit attorney.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Kansas today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Onglyza?
Along with proper diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes, Onglyza is an oral prescription medication that helps to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Onglyza belongs to a relatively new group of diabetic medications known as incretin-based therapies, specifically a class known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors.
Who Takes Onglyza and How Does It Work?
Onglyza only treats adults with type 2 diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis should not use Onglyza. Patients are advised to speak with their doctor before taking Onglyza, especially if they have kidney disease, pancreatitis, gallstones, high triglycerides, or a history of alcoholism.
Onglyza works to lower blood sugar levels by helping the body increase insulin production after eating food. Inhibiting DPP-4 allows the incretin in the body to stay longer, triggering the release of insulin. In addition, the medication stops the liver from making too much glucose and mitigates blood sugar absorption rates.
Onglyza Side Effects
Serious allergic reactions of Onglyza include:
- Swelling of the face, lips, or throat
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Swelling of the skin
- Hives, rash, itching, flaking, or peeling
Additional Onglyza side effects include:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Swelling or fluid retention
- Upper respiratory infection
- Urinary tract infection
- Hypoglycemia and side effects associated with low blood sugar
Onglyza Risks and FDA Warnings
In addition to some minor allergic reactions and side effects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the following warnings and communications regarding serious, potentially life-threatening risks and the use of Onglyza:
- Cardiovascular risk: In April 2015, the FDA Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) voted that the results of the Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus (SAVOR) study demonstrate that the use of saxagliptin (Onglyza) in patients with type 2 diabetes has an acceptable cardiovascular risk profile. Likewise, EMDAC members voted to supplement the medication’s labeling and add new safety information.
- Heart failure: Following the SAVOR study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2013, the FDA requested that the makers of Onglyza submit clinical trial data to investigate a possible link between the use of the medication and heart failure. Although the investigation was preliminary, patients were encouraged to speak with their healthcare provider if they had any concerns.
- Pancreatitis: According to a warning issued by the FDA in 2013, acute pancreatitis was reported in patients taking Onglyza. If pancreatitis is suspected, patients should stop taking the medication and notify their doctor as soon as possible. In addition to risks of pancreatitis, there is a potential for the increased risk of pancreatic cancer from DPP-4 medications, including Onglyza.
- Pancreatic cancer: Also in 2013, the FDA issued a report investigating and evaluating unpublished findings suggesting the possible increased risk of pancreatitis and pre-cancerous cellular changes in adults who used incretin mimetic medications, including Onglyza. At the time of the precaution, the FDA suggested that patients continue taking the medicine as prescribed until they could discuss options with their doctor or health care provider.
- Thyroid cancer: Victoza, a drug similar to Onglyza, was indicated in a 2011 FDA safety communication as having a possible association with thyroid cancer in patients who used the drug to treat type 2 diabetes.
How A Kansas Onglyza Lawsuit Can Help
Drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are accompanied by full and accurate instructions and warnings to guide prescribing doctors and other health care providers in making treatment decisions. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
Patients who are injured by Onglyza may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from complications after taking Onglyza, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
Patients who have suffered severe side effects after taking Onglyza, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the drug, are encouraged to seek the advice of a Kansas Onglyza lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Kansas. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group for Kansas today.
