Tennessee Bydureon Lawsuit Attorneys
Bydureon, touted as the first and only drug available for use once per week to keep blood sugar levels down in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, has been linked to pancreatic cancer, according to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys. However, the drug has been linked to very serious side effects, including thyroid cancer, cardiovascular disease, pancreatitis, and even more frightening, say Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys, pancreatic cancer.
What Is Bydureon?
Bydureon, marketed and distributed by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, won FDA approval in January 2012, after being denied approval twice due to concern that the drug could cause heart rhythm problems, say Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys. One of the reasons that doctors were excited about Bydureon was that compliance among diabetes patients was the biggest problem to controlling their disease. A once-per-week injection would reduce some of the compliance problems, and patients would be more likely to take the drug as prescribed. According to Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys, the drug is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which the body recognizes as a hormone known to produce insulin in patients with high blood sugar. The main ingredient in the drug is exanatide, a hormone found in the saliva of Gila monsters.
Cardiac Risks
One of the reasons that the FDA denied approval of Bydureon twice was that small clinical trials indicated a higher risk for cardiovascular problems, including heart rhythm abnormalities that could lead to heart attack. The FDA approval required that Amylin conduct further clinical trials to confirm that the drug does not lead to heart conditions, allowing doctors to prescribe the drug even though the FDA suspects it is not safe, say Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys.
Thyroid Cancer
Early testing of Bydureon showed an increase risk of thyroid c-cell tumors, much like another drug under FDA investigation, Victoza. Although the drug is still being investigated for its possible link to thyroid cancer, doctors are still prescribing the medication to patients, possibly putting them at risk for thyroid cancer, according to Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys. Doctors are warned not to prescribe the drug to any patient who has had thyroid cancer in the past, or has a family history of the disease.
Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer
The FDA has known that Bydureon about the risks of pancreatitis for some time, and required warnings on the drug of the risks of the illness, which is very painful, can lead to portions of the pancreas being destroyed, and even cause a patient to develop Type I diabetes. However, Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys have learned that a UCLA study conducted by highly regarded researchers discovered after dissecting the pancreas of patients taking the drug showed an increase in cancerous pancreatic cells, compared to diabetic patients who had not taken Byurdeon. Even more troubling was the fact that only half of these patients had been taking Byurdeon for a year or more, indicating that damage to the pancreas occurs quickly in those taking the drug. Another troubling fact, say Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys, is that because the patients had diabetes, rising blood sugars, often found in patients with pancreatic cancer, would not have led doctors to check for small tumors in the pancreas, allowing those tumors to grow until treatment was impossible.
Contact Us Today
Tennessee Bydureon lawsuit attorneys remind patients who have taken Bydureon that pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers. Only 20% of those diagnosed survive one year, while only 4 percent survive more than five years. If you have taken Bydureon and suffered from heart problems or pancreatitis, or if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with thyroid or pancreatic cancer after taking this drug, contact us online or by phone today to learn what rights you may have.
