Onglyza and Kombiglyze

Patients taking the incretin mimetic Type 2 diabetes drugs like Onglyza or Kombiglyze (saxagliptin) may face an increased risk of devastating and potentially life-threatening side effects, like congestive heart failure, heart attack, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, heart failure and wrongful death. If you believe you or a loved one has been adversely affected by side effects of Onglyza and Kombiglyze, contact a knowledgeable product liability lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your legal options. You may have grounds to file an Onglyza or Kombiglyze injury lawsuit against AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb, in order to pursue the financial compensation you and your loved ones deserve for your injuries, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other related damages.

Research Linking Onglyza to Side Effects

Information about the alleged link between Onglyza and serious side effects in diabetes patients is not new. In November 2011, a warning about the alleged risk of pancreatitis complications was added to the Onglyza drug label, highlighting the potential for severe inflammation of the pancreas to lead to hospitalization, pancreatic cancer and death.

In 2013, a study published in medical journal Diabetes found a link between DPP-4 inhibitor drugs like Onglyza and the presence of abnormal pre-cancerous cells in the pancreas, and that same year, the FDA issued a safety alert indicating that the agency would be investigating “unpublished new findings […] that suggest an increased risk of pancreatitis and pre-cancerous cellular changes […] in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with a class of drugs called incretin mimetics.”

Another side effect potentially linked to Onglyza treatment is heart failure, a serious condition occurring when the heart fails to pump blood adequately. According to an April 2015 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients treated with Onglyza and other incretin mimetic diabetes drugs faced a 27% increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure complications. That same month, an FDA analysis of clinical trial data indicated that patients treated with Onglyza may have a significantly increased risk of heart failure and death.

Alleged Onglyza Side Effects

Congestive Heart Disease
Heart Attack
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatitis

Heart failure
Cardiac arrest
Thyroid cancer
Wrongful death

In November 2011, a warning about the alleged risk of pancreatitis complications was added to the Onglyza drug label, highlighting the potential for severe inflammation of the pancreas to lead to hospitalization, pancreatic cancer and death.

Alleged Onglyza Side Effects

Congestive Heart Disease
Heart Attack
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatitis

Heart failure
Cardiac arrest
Thyroid cancer
Wrongful death

How Onglyza Works

Onglyza (saxagliptin) is an oral diabetes drug that works by regulating the levels of insulin your body produces after eating, in order to help control blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. Onglyza belongs to a class of Type 2 diabetes medications known as dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, or incretin mimetics, which are designed to prevent the liver from producing excess sugar, while helping the pancreas to secrete more insulin. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009, Onglyza has become one of the most popular diabetes drugs on the market in the United States, generating $709 million in sales for AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2012 alone.

Why Lawsuits Are Being Filed

Past lawsuits claim:

Onglyza is a defective drug and poses an unreasonable risk of side effects.
AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb failed to adequately research the safety and effectiveness of Onglyza.
The manufacturers knew or should have known about the potential for Onglyza to cause pancreatitis and other complications.
AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb concealed the risks of Onglyza from consumers and the medical community. These omissions prevented individuals from making fully informed decisions regarding their health.

Onglyza Lawsuit Information

When DPP-4 inhibitor diabetes drugs like Onglyza were first introduced in the United States, they were marketed as the “new darlings of diabetes treatment –” says British Medical Journal editor Deborah Cohen, “the biggest breakthrough since the discovery of insulin nearly a hundred years before.” However, serious concerns have been raised recently about the safety of Onglyza, and the potential for the Type 2 diabetes medication to cause serious and possibly even life-threatening side effects in users.

No pharmaceutical drug is 100% safe, but studies have shown that DPP-4 inhibitors like Onglyza may pose an unreasonable risk of serious complications for users, including but not limited to pancreatitis, heart failure and pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, when drug manufacturing companies conceal these drug risks from the public, consumers are robbed of their right to make educated decisions about which medications are safe for them to use, and which aren’t. If you took Onglyza in the past, and you have since been diagnosed with one or more serious medical conditions, you may be entitled to reimbursement for your losses. Consult an experienced Onglyza attorney today to explore your possible compensation options.