DrugNews Update: Amid Safety Warnings, Court Consolidates Januvia Lawsuits
New York, NY (PRWEB) September 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. A federal panel has consolidated a growing number of lawsuits alleging the drugs caused pancreatic cancer*.
The move comes as a recent study finds that occurrence rates of pancreatic cancer may be higher with drugs like Januvia**.
The DrugNews resource center provides the latest warnings, recalls, studies and legal news to patients taking popular prescription drugs. 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 pharmaceutical company Merck***.
However, the resource center has added warnings from health experts that the drugs may be linked to cancer. In 2011, researchers from UCLA discovered subjects given Januvia had increased rates of pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer****.
In February, the American Medical Association advised diabetes drugs like Januvia can double the risk of pancreatitis, a major risk factor for pancreatic cancer*****. DrugNews also learned of a study by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices finding indications in FDA reports that patients taking drugs like Januvia have elevated risks of pancreatic cancer**.
Now, with a growing number of patients filing a Januvia lawsuit alleging cancer, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has ordered cases will be consolidated to a special multidistrict litigation federal court. (In Re: Incretin-Based Therapies Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2452, Southern District of California)*.
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 these cases, DrugNews 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.DrugNews.net.
*JPML 8/26/13; jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-2452-Initial_Transfer-07-13.pdf
**ISMP QuarterWatch April, 2013; ismp.org/QuarterWatch/pdfs/2012Q3.pdf
***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
Patient Advocate, DrugNews, http://www.DrugNews.net, 888-987-4866, [email protected]
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