Byetta Lawsuits Move Forward, as Judicial Panel Considers Consolidation of All Federal Lawsuits Involving Incretin Mimetics, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports
New York, NY (PRWEB) July 08, 2013 -- Byetta lawsuit claims continue to move forward in courts throughout the country, as a panel of federal judges prepares to consider a proposal to consolidate all federally-filed product liability lawsuits involving incretin mimetics in a single federal court for pretrial proceedings, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. According to a Scheduling Order issued by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) on June 12th, Oral Arguments regarding the matter will be heard on July 25, 2013. Court filings indicate that at least 53 claims involving incretin mimetics, including Byetta lawsuits, have been filed in federal courts throughout the U.S. on behalf of patients who developed pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, or thyroid cancer, allegedly due to their use of these medications. (In Re: Incretins Products Liability, Sales and Marketing Litigation, MDL 2452, JPML)
“We have heard from numerous patients who allegedly developed Byetta pancreatitis, Byetta pancreatic cancer, or Byetta thyroid cancer while using this medication. We expect a growing number of filings, especially in light of the fact that recent regulatory action and studies have increased concerns about this class of drugs,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is currently offering free Byetta lawsuit evaluations to patients who took this drug and were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer or thyroid cancer. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is also investigating claims related to Byetta pancreatitis.
Byetta Lawsuits
Byetta and other drugs known as incretin mimetics all work by mimicking incretin hormones, which stimulate the release of insulin. Since it was approved in April of 2005, concerns about Byetta’s alleged potential to cause pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer have continued to mount. In 2008, for example, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public warning about Byetta after receiving a high number of reports involving pancreatitis.* In February 2011, research published in Gastroenterology suggested a risk of Byetta pancreatic cancer, reporting that the drug appeared to increase the likelihood for the disease by nearly 3-fold. The same study also reported 30 cases of Byetta thyroid cancer in patients taking the drug, and a six-fold increase risk for pancreatitis among Byetta users.**
In April 2013, the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices published an analysis of FDA adverse event reports that revealed incretin mimetics were 25 times more likely to be linked to pancreatic cancer compared to other diabetes drugs. During a 12 month period that ended in June 2012, the ISMP tallied 263 reports of possible Byetta pancreatitis, 71 reports of possible Byetta pancreatic cancer, and 14 reports of possible Byetta thyroid cancer.*** On March 14, 2013, the FDA announced it was investigating findings from an unpublished study that indicated that drugs like Byetta could be associated with cellular changes in the pancreas called pancreatic duct metaplasia, a precursor to cancer.****
According to court records, a motion to consolidate all federal claims involving incretin mimetics, including Byetta lawsuits, was filed with the JPML in April 2013. According to Bernstein Liebhard LLP, multidistrict litigations are established when a large number of complex cases share common allegation of facts. The aim of such a proceeding is to preserve the resources of the Court, parties and witnesses, and to avoid duplicative discovery and conflicting orders.
Alleged victims of Byetta pancreatitis, Byetta pancreatic cancer or Byetta thyroid cancer may be entitled to compensation for medical bills and other damages. Additional information about filing a Byetta lawsuit is available at Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s website. To learn more, please call 800-511-5092.
*fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm124713.htm; FDA, August 18, 2008
** gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085%2811%2900172-7/abstract, Gastroenterology, February 21, 2011
***http://www.ismp.org/QuarterWatch/pdfs/2012Q3.pdf, ISMP, April 2013
****fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm343187.htm, FDA, March 14, 2013
About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the “Plaintiffs’ Hot List,” recognizing the top plaintiffs’ firms in the country, for the past 10 consecutive years.
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ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2013 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at) consumerinjurylawyers (dot) com
http://www.byettalawsuit2013.com/
Felecia L. Stern, Byetta Pancreatic Cancer Lawsuit Center, http://www.byettalawsuit2013.com/, 800-511-5092, [email protected]
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