Onglyza, a prescription medication used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes, has been allegedly linked to cases of pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, heart failure, and joint pain. Affected patients and families may be eligible to file a Nevada Onglyza lawsuit and pursue compensation for damages allegedly associated with the medication.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Nevada 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?
Onglyza is a prescription medication used along with diet and exercise to reduce blood sugar levels in adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Onglyza is part of a class of diabetes medications known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. The drug allows the pancreas to release insulin, stops the liver from producing too much sugar, and reduces glucose absorption rates.
Who Takes Onglyza and How Does It Work?
DPP-4 inhibitors such as Onglyza are used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes. Patients who suffer from type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis should not use Onglyza to treat their condition. Patients are urged to speak with their doctor or primary care provider prior to taking Onglyza, especially if they have kidney disease, pancreatitis, gallstones, high triglycerides, or a history of alcoholism.
Onglyza works by reducing blood sugar levels and helping the body increase the production of insulin after the consumption of meals. Some people with type 2 diabetes do not produce enough incretin, a natural hormone that tells the body to release insulin after meals. Inhibiting DPP-4 helps the incretin stay in the body longer, triggering the release of insulin and lowering blood sugar levels.
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
Symptoms associated with low blood sugar such as shaking, hunger, sweating, headache, rapid heartbeat, change in mood, or change in vision may become worse in individuals who already take other drugs to treat type 2 diabetes.
Onglyza Risks
In addition to some minor allergic reactions and side effects, Onglyza has been linked to several serious—some potentially life-threatening—side effects including:
- Heart failure: Following a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that the makers of Onglyza submit clinical trial data to investigate a possible association between the use of the medication and heart failure. As a result, the FDA voted to recommend stronger warnings and updated labels to include information about the potential increased risk for heart failure.
- Thyroid cancer: Victoza, a DPP-4 inhibitor that works similarly to Onglyza, was noted 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.
- Pancreatitis: According to a warning issued by the FDA in 2013, the risk of pancreatitis was reported in patients taking Onglyza. Patients should be observed carefully for symptoms associated with pancreatitis, and if pancreatitis is suspected, patients should stop taking the medication and notify their doctor as soon as possible.
- Pancreatic cancer: According to a study conducted in 2013 and published in the medical journal Diabetes, pancreatic mass increased approximately 40% in patients treated with incretin therapy as opposed to patients who were not. Additionally, the study noted an association between incretin-based therapies such as Onglyza and potentially cancerous abnormal cellular growth in the tissues of the pancreas.
- Joint pain: In 2015, the FDA warned that type 2 diabetes medications, including Onglyza, might cause joint pain and added a new warning and precaution to the labels of DPP-4 inhibitors.
How A Nevada 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 Nevada 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 Nevada. 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 Nevada today.
