DrugRisk Announces New Cancer Warning for Diabetes Patients Taking Januvia

Posted: Published on June 12th, 2013

This post was added by Dr P. Richardson

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 12, 2013

The diabetes drug safety advocates at DrugRisk.com are announcing new information on the site for those patients taking the medications Januvia or Janumet. A university head of endocrinology and former editor of the American Diabetes Association journal has advised the drug may be connected to pancreatic cancer*.

DrugRisk was created to improve patient safety by providing the latest warnings, recalls, studies and legal news for popular drugs like Januvia and Janumet. Visitors can see if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice.

Januvia and Janumet are pill-form diabetes medications prescribed to help those with type-2 diabetes control blood sugar. The drugs were two of the best-selling for Merck in recent years, with sales of over $4 billion last year**.

The resource center contains studies suggesting Januvia and Janumet may be linked to cancer. A 2011 study from UCLA indicated the drug could increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 172% and thyroid cancer by 48%***. The FDA is also investigating the risk of Janumet and Januvia cancer after receiving reports that some patients who died showed signs of early pancreatic cancer cells****.

Now, DrugRisk has learned that Dr. Peter Butler, head of endocrinology at UCLA and the lead researcher of the 2011 study, has warned that the pancreatic cancer risk was not detected in trials prior to FDA approval because the manufacturer used very young animals not as prone to pancreatic cancer*.

Due to the rising number of patients filing a Januvia lawsuit alleging cancer, lawyers have requested that cases be consolidated to a special federal multi-district court in California. (In Re: Incretins Products Liability, Sales and Marketing Litigation, MDL 2452, United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation).

Anyone affected by cancer after taking Januvia or Janumet is encouraged to speak with a lawyer about their legal options. However, due to the specialized nature of federal drug injury cases, DrugRisk only recommends lawyers who have already handled Januvia lawsuits.

For more information on the research, side effects and litigation news related to Januvia and other drugs, or to speak with a lawyer, visit http://www.DrugRisk.com.

*New York Times, 5/31/13; nytimes.com/2013/05/31/business/a-doctor-raises-questions-about-a-diabetes-drug.html?hp&_r=1& **Bloomberg, 2/25/13; bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-25/merck-bristol-diabetes-drugs-linked-to-pancreatitis-risk.html ***Gastroenterology, July 2011; ctsi.ucla.edu/education/files/publicview/training/docs/FDA-analysis.pdf ****FDA, 3/14/13; http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm343187.htm

Continued here:
DrugRisk Announces New Cancer Warning for Diabetes Patients Taking Januvia

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