Dangerous Diabetes Drugs

Novo Nordisk Seeks New Uses for Victoza

Novo Nordisk’s Chief Science Officer Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen stated that the pharmaceutical company is looking into continuing trials to determine if Victoza could be marketed as a possible Alzheimer’s treatment.  Victoza is currently going through a proof of concept study.  If this is successful, the drug will continue through phase III clinical trials to see…

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Merck to Stop Distributing Diabetes and Cholesterol Combination Medication

Merck, manufacturer of the controversial diabetes drug Januvia, has made the decision to stop manufacturing a combination of Januvia (sitagliptin) and the high cholesterol treatment simvastatin.  The drug was called Juvisync, and the theory behind it was that the company could increase profits by capitalizing on the large population of individuals that suffer from high…

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Judge Tosses Jury’s Verdict Against Actos Manufacturer Takeda

In Maryland, a jury found drug giant Takeda Pharmaceutical Company liable for $1.7 million in damages for not properly warning its user regarding the risks of taking Actos and developing bladder cancer or heart problems.  The subject of the case was a deceased man by the name of Diep An, who was a former U.S….

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Onglyza Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Failure

Onglyza, a DPP-4 inhibitors, was the subject of a new study conducted by researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  The study concluded with the following findings: Onglyza resulted in an increased risk of heart failure.  Those taking the diabetes medication had a 3.5% increased risk, versus 2.8% in the control group. There…

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Incretin Mimetic Drug Lawsuits Consolidated in Federal Court

On August 28, 2013, it was announced that litigation involving incretin mimetic drugs Byetta, Victoza, Januvia, and Janumet are being consolidated into multi-district litigation in California federal court.  Usually lawsuits against different companies, as is in this case, are not consolidated into one MDL.  In this case however, many of the plaintiffs bringing the lawsuits…

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Eli Lilly Gets Positive Results on Diabetes Drug Trials

After three late-stage trials, drug giant Eli Lilly showed that its new diabetes drug dulaglutide provided better blood sugar control than Byetta, Januvia, and metformin.  Dulaglutide belongs to the same class of drugs as Byetta and Januvia, known as incretin mimetics.  Lilly plans to seek FDA approval for the drug in late 2013. Eli Lilly…

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Medical Journal Links Byetta, Januvia to Pancreatitis, Pancreatic Cancer, and Thyroid Cancer

After reviewing the data from the adverse events reported to the FDA, researchers found that there was a six-fold increase in association between pancreatitis and Byetta and Januvia.  These results were published in the medical journal Gastroenterology. The scientists found other associations as well, including a threefold increase in pancreatic cancer, and a four-fold increase…

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Timeline of FDA Action: Byetta

Byetta is a GLP-1 agonist injection manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  It was approved by the FDA in 2005.  Its generic name is exenatide. Byetta is administered twice daily by injection, but also comes in a once-weekly form called Bydureon. Byetta works by forcing the pancreas to increase insulin production and to suppress release of…

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Novo Nordisk Looking To Get Victoza Approved for Weight Loss

  In April 2013, results from Novo Nordisk’s clinical trial of diabetes drug Victoza showed that the drug can help obese people lose weight.  The FDA has not yet granted Novo Nordisk approval for this indication, but with further studies planned, they hope to do so soon. Both diabetes and insulin can cause weight gain,…

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Public Citizen Calls for Victoza to be Banned by FDA

  On April 19 of 2012, the watchdog group Public Citizen called for the FDA to remove Novo Nordisk’s Victoza (liraglutide) from the market.  Their reasoning?  Without any real benefit, the drug has major risks, namely thyroid tumors and cancer. In its petition, the group states: “No information concerning the mechanism for this tumor-inducing effect…

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