Byetta Lawsuits Move Forward, as Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes Issuance of New Order Governing In Extremis Depositions in Federal Byetta Litigation
New York, New York (PRWEB) November 16, 2013 -- Dozens of Byetta lawsuits, (http://www.byettalawsuit2013.com/) as well as other product liability claims involving Januvia, Victoza and other diabetes drugs known as incretin mimetics, continue to move forward in a federal multidistrict litigation now underway in U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. According to an Order issued on November 5th, the Court has established protocols for In Extremis depositions that will allow plaintiffs to schedule early depositions when they are “reasonably near the end of life.” (In Re: Incretins Products Liability, Sales and Marketing Litigation, MDL 2452)
“The plaintiffs who have filed Byetta lawsuits in this proceeding are suffering from pancreatic cancer, which sadly has a high rate of mortality. This Order will ensure that the testimony of plaintiffs nearing the end of their life is preserved for trial,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is currently offering free case evaluations to patients who took Byetta and were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer or pancreatitis.
Byetta Lawsuits
Byetta was brought to market in 2005, and was the first of the incretin mimetics class of Type 2 diabetes drugs. Since its approval, however, evidence has mounted linking Byetta to pancreatic cancer and other serious health effects. In 2008, for example, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health alert about Byetta after receiving a high number of reports involving pancreatitis in patients who took the drug.* In February 2011, a study published in the medical journal, Gastroenterology, suggested that patients taking Byetta faced a 3-fold increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer, as well as a 6-fold increased risk of pancreatitis. The same study also reported 30 cases of thyroid cancer among Byetta patients.**
This past March, the FDA announced that it was investigating findings from a small study that indicated drugs like Byetta could cause precancerous changes in the cells of the pancreas. The FDA has since noted that it was unable to reach any conclusion regarding this possible risk, but its review is ongoing.
Then in April, the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices revealed that the FDA had received 263 reports of pancreatitis, 71 cases of pancreatic cancer, and 14 incidents of thyroid cancer among patients taking Byetta in a single 12-month period.*** In June, the British Medical Journal reported that an analysis of clinical trial data indicated that the manufacturers of Byetta and other incretin mimetics may have downplayed their potential to harm the pancreas.****
Court documents indicate that at least 150 lawsuits have been filed in the Southern District of California alleging an association between the use of incretin mimetic drugs, including Byetta, and pancreatic cancer. All of the claims accuse the manufacturers of these medications of failing to provide doctors and patients with adequate warnings regarding this potential risk.
Alleged victims of Byetta and pancreatic cancer, as well as pancreatitis and thyroid cancer, may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. Learn how to contact a Byetta lawyer by visiting Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s website. For a free Byetta lawsuit review, 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
***ismp.org/quarterwatch/pdfs/2012Q3.pdf, ISMP, April 2013
****http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3680, British Medical Journal, June 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 11 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/
https://plus.google.com/115936073311125306742?rel=author
Felecia L. Stern, Byetta Pancreatic Cancer Lawsuit Center, http://www.byettalawsuit2013.com/, +1 800-511-5092, [email protected]
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