The Law Office of Taylor Martino Rowan are looking into claims related to the drug Onglyza, and it’s potential ability to cause heart failure and pancreatic cancer in patients.
Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR are both manufactured by AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb. Lawsuits allege they potentially increase the risk of severe, life-threatening side effects. In both the Onglyza heart failure lawsuit and Onglyza pancreatic cancer lawsuit that has been filed, plaintiffs allege that the drugs increased the risk of both heart failure and pancreatic cancer, of which complications of both can be deadly.
Manufacturers of the potentially dangerous drugs are assumed to have acted negligently by failing to adequately test their medications—per recommendation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—before making them available to the public. Many consumers were thereby injured by their apparent wrongful actions.
Onglyza (saxagliptin) is used by patients with type 2 diabetes to help lower blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood sugar levels are too high because the body cannot produce or use insulin normally. This is known as insulin resistance.
Insulin is a hormone produced naturally in the pancreas. It helps cells throughout the body absorb glucose (sugar) and convert it into energy. When the body isn’t capable of using the insulin properly, the pancreas produces more insulin to try to get the cells to respond. Eventually the pancreas struggles to keep up and the body’s blood sugar rises.
High blood sugar can cause serious and potentially life-threatening health problems, including heart disease, nerve damage, vision problems or a complete loss of vision, stroke and kidney disease. Taking medication along with making lifestyle changes such as maintaining a proper diet and exercise regimen can help to lower and maintain a person’s blood sugar levels.
Onglyza belongs to a class of medications called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. It works to increase the amount of insulin produced by the body after eating when blood sugar levels are at their highest. Onglyza blocks the action of DPP-4 thereby suppressing the inactivation and degradation of certain gastrointestinal hormones called incretins (GLP-1) involved in the removal of glucose from the gut. This in turn increases insulin secretion and decreases gastric emptying thereby reducing blood glucose levels.
Onglyza is not used to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. It comes in tablet form and is taken by mouth usually once a day. While Onglyza is used to treat type 2 diabetes, it does not cure it. To continue to benefit from Onglyza’s effects, patients are advised to continue taking the medication even when their illness is controlled. You should always speak with your doctor before you stop taking any medications you are prescribed.
Patients taking Onglyza or Kombiglyze XR might experience mild side effects as their bodies adjust to the medication. Kombiglyze XR combines the side effects of Onglyza along with those associated with metformin. Some side effects can persist or worsen over time.
Common side effects of Onglyza include:
Rarely, side effects of Onglyza can be serious. You should immediately report the following symptoms to your doctor:
Kombiglyze XR combines the active ingredient found in Oblgyza, saxagliptin, with metformin—a medication belonging to a class of drugs called biguanides used to help control the amount of glucose in the blood in people with type 2 diabetes by decreasing the amount of the substance absorbed from food and increasing the body’s response to insulin. Metformin has its own list of side effects, including:
Kombiglyze XR also carries a black box warning for lactic acidosis. A black box warning is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s strongest warning alerting patients to a significant risk of serious or life-threatening side effects in connection with a drug.
Lactic acidosis happens when lactic acid—produced when oxygen levels are low in cells involved in metabolism—build up in the bloodstream. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include nausea, vomiting and weakness.
In 2011, Pancreatitis was added to both Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR’s warning labels. Serious cases of pancreatitis can result in pain and suffering, hospitalization, or even death. Pancreatitis can also put you at risk as a precursor to pancreatic cancer. In 2013, the FDA launched an investigation into the connection between Onglyza and pancreatic cancer.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued three safety communications related to Onglyza. Its latest safety announcement was released in April 2016, when the federal regulatory agency first alerted health care providers and the public that it was requiring the manufacturer of the type 2 diabetes medication to add warnings about heart failure risks to the drug’s label.
An FDA safety review revealed evidence of an increased risk of heart failure linked to medicines containing saxagliptin—such as Onglyza—and alogliptin. Patients with preexisting heart or kidney disease are at the greatest risk.
Results were pulled from two large clinical trials conducted in patients with heart disease. These trials were previously discussed at an FDA advisory committee meeting exactly one year prior in April 2015. Both trials showed more patients taking the type 2 diabetes medicine saxagliptin (3.5 percent) hospitalized for heart failure than those who took placebos (2.8 percent).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued three safety communications related to Onglyza. Its latest safety announcement was released in April 2016, when the federal regulatory agency first alerted health care providers and the public that it was requiring the manufacturer of the type 2 diabetes medication to add warnings about heart failure risks to the drug’s label.
The governmental agency advised patients taking medications containing saxagliptin like Onglyza to contact their doctor right away if they experience the following signs and symptoms of health failure:
Previous FDA safety communications included warnings that Onglyza and other related type 2 diabetes medications can cause severe and debilitating drug users released in 2015, and a possible increased risk of pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer first alerted in 2013.
Receiving a diagnosis of heart failure can be discouraging. Patients should be able to trust that their medications are safe. When that trust is betrayed, it is our job to help hold these companies responsible.
We want to give you the best possible chance at success, which means obtaining a sizeable settlement or favorable jury verdict to help you receive the utmost medical treatment to aid in your comfort or recovery and restore some of your losses.
You don’t have to face this alone. Our Onglyza attorneys are knowledgeable about legal claims involving drug injuries. We will walk you through this difficult time and help answer your questions along the way.
Taylor Martino’s experienced personal injury legal team is speaking with Onglyza users who have suffered heart complications and assessing potential legal action against AstraZeneca. If you or a loved one have sustained injuries after taking Onglyza, we are here to help.
Our Onglyza injury lawyers at want to speak with you about your case today! We are are offering FREE legal consultations with our experienced Onglyza lawsuit lawyers to those who may have suffered both medically and financially as a result of being prescribed Onglyza for diabetes.
We promise to work hard for you as you bring forth your claim, protecting your confidentiality and defending your rights along the way. We will evaluate your situation and determine if you have a legal claim for damages and how we can best help get you the compensation you need and deserve to recover and get on with your life, hopefully healthier and happier. Call us at 251-433-3131.
