DrugNews: FDA Will Not Change Januvia Label Despite Links to Pancreatic Cancer
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 07, 2013 -- The diabetes drug safety center at DrugNews.net is advising patients taking the medications Januvia or Janumet of new information on the site. Despite recent warnings about a possible link to pancreatic cancer, the FDA has advised that diabetes drugs like Januvia are safe*.
DrugNews provides patients taking popular prescription drugs with the latest warnings, recalls, studies and legal news in an effort to improve safety. Visitors can see if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice.
Januvia and Janumet are ingestible diabetes medications prescribed to those with type-2 diabetes to lower blood sugar levels. In recent years, they have been the best-selling drugs for Merck, bringing in over $4 billion last year**.
However, the resource center has discovered studies which link Januvia and Janumet to cancer. A 2011 study from UCLA suggested that subjects given Januvia had increased rates of pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer***.
In February, the American Medical Association advised diabetes drugs like these can double the risk of pancreatitis, a major risk factor for pancreatic cancer****. Also, the British Medical Journal has reported this class of diabetes drugs may be more dangerous than expected*****.
Now, however, DrugNews has learned that last week the FDA advised that there is no evidence to show diabetes drugs like Januvia are associated with higher cancer rates and the agency will not change the product labels*.
Due to the number of patients expected to file a Januvia lawsuit alleging cancer, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is considering a consolidation of cases to a central court. (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 visit the DrugNews Center or speak with a lawyer about their legal options. However, due to the specialized nature of federal drug injury cases, DrugNews only recommends lawyers who have already handled Januvia lawsuits.
For more information on the research, Januvia side effects and litigation news related to Januvia and other drugs, or to speak with a lawyer, visit http://www.DrugNews.net.
*Pharmalive 7/30/13; pharmalive.com/fda-decides-no-risk-of-pancreatic-cancer-with-diabetes-drugs
**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
****JAMA Internal Medicine, 2/25/13; archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1656537
*****MedPage Today, 6/12/13; medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Diabetes/39803
Patient Advocate, DrugNews, http://www.DrugNews.net, 888-987-4866, [email protected]
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