New York, NY (PRWEB) July 26, 2013 -- Byetta lawsuit claims involving allegations that the popular Type 2 diabetes drug caused users to develop pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis and thyroid cancer, continue to move forward, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. According to court documents, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation heard Oral Arguments on July 25th regarding the possible establishment of a multidistrict litigation for federal product liability lawsuits involving Byetta and similar drugs. Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly, the manufacturers of the medication, have voiced support for the consolidation of Byetta pancreatic cancer lawsuits. (In Re: Incretins Products Liability, Sales and Marketing Litigation, MDL 2452, JPML)
“We look forward to the Panel’s decision in this matter. Considering the popularity of this drug, we expect a large number of alleged Byetta pancreatic cancer lawsuit filings, as well as claims involving pancreatitis and thyroid cancer allegations. A consolidated proceeding would allow Byetta lawsuits to move forward efficiently,” 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, thyroid cancer or pancreatitis.
Byetta Lawsuits
Court records indicate that more than 40 alleged Byetta pancreatic cancer lawsuits are pending in courts around the country. Byetta is part of a class of Type 2 diabetes drugs called incretin mimetics, all of which work by mimicking the action of incretin hormones to stimulate insulin production in the pancreas. All of the Byetta lawsuits filed thus far allege the drug’s manufacturers concealed the association between Byetta and pancreatic cancer, and failed to provide adequate warnings regarding its risks.
Over the past several months, the entire class of incretin mimetics, including Byetta, have been the subject of mounting safety concerns, amid a growing body of evidence that indicates they could have harmful effects on the pancreas. In 2008, for example, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Byetta pancreatitis warning after receiving a high number of reports of the disorder in users of the drug.* In February 2011, research published in Gastroenterology suggested a risk of pancreatic cancer among Byetta users, reporting that the drug appeared to increase the likelihood for the disease by nearly 3-fold. The same study also reported 30 cases of thyroid cancer and a six-fold increase risk for pancreatitis among Byetta users.**
In February 2013, a paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine reported that drugs like Byetta appeared to double the risk for pancreatitis.*** On March 14, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was investigating findings from an unpublished study that suggested Byetta and other incretin mimetics could be associated with pre-cancerous cellular changes in the pancreas called pancreatic duct metaplasia.**** Then in April, the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices (ISMP) 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 pancreatitis, 71 instances of pancreatic cancer, and 14 cases of thyroid cancer among Byetta users.***** Most recently, a review of regulatory data conducted by the British Medical Journal revealed unpublished data pointing to “unwanted proliferative or inflammatory pancreatic effects” associated with incretin mimetics. ******
Byetta users who developed pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis or thyroid cancer may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. 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
***archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1656537, JAMA Internal Medicine, February 25, 2013
****fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm343187.htm, FDA, March 14, 2013
*****ismp.org/QuarterWatch/pdfs/2012Q3.pdf, ISMP, April 2013
******bmj.com/open-data/incretin, BMJ, June 10, 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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