Januvia (sitagliptin) is a relatively new Type II diabetes drug on the market. It is manufactured and distributed by Merck and Co., a United States pharmaceutical company that owns such brands as Coppertone, Bain de Soleil, and Dr. Scholls.
Of course they also make drugs. You may have seen the Levitra commercials, a very profitable franchise for them. You may have also heard of Vioxx, the pain killer that, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), caused as many as 139,000 heart attacks in it four years on the market. This brought on thousands of lawsuits that has up to this point cost Merck almost $4.75 billion.
Besmirched reputations aside, their new favorite drug Januvia, yielding them a whopping $2.75 billion in sales last year, has been touted as a new generation of drugs that treat the ever growing epidemic of diabetes in the United States. As you may have read (or noticed walking down the street) that 1 out of 3 Americans are obese. Another third are getting there and another third are standing around making fun of the other two thirds. But ridicule doesn’t stop the fact that more and more Americans are getting diabetes, a very serious condition.
Of course diet and exercise helps and may even change reverse type II diabetes, but to do it they need a healthy pancreas. The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen that creates insulin that helps regulate glucose (sugar) in the blood. With unhealthy levels of glucose the person could go into shock, have serious circulation problems, and could die.
So that’s why there is a concern, because studies have shown that Januvia may cause a serious and counterproductive side effect; pancreatitis.
Januvia and Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. Normally, digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas do not become active until they reach the small intestine. But when the pancreas is inflamed, the enzymes inside it attack and damage the tissues that produce them.
There are two types of Pancreatitis:
Acute - Acute pancreatitis occurs suddenly and with treatment, leaves in a few days. Acute pancreatitis can be a life-threatening illness with severe complications. The most common cause of acute pancreatitis is the presence of gallstones (hardened bile) that cause inflammation in the pancreas as they pass through the common bile duct. Chronic, heavy alcohol use is also a common cause. Other causes of acute pancreatitis include abdominal trauma, medications, infections, tumors, and genetic abnormalities of the pancreas.
Without treatment, people with diabetes can have serious complications after an onset of acute pancreatitis, this could result in permanent medical injury or death.
Symptoms are:
- Swollen and tender abdomen
- Nausea/vomiting
- Fever
- Increased or rapid resting pulse
Chronic – Chronic pancreatitis does not heal or improve, but gets worse over time and leads to permanent damage as the enflamed pancreas begins to shut down. Chronic pancreatitis occurs when digestive enzymes attack the pancreas and nearby tissues, causing episodes of pain. Chronic pancreatitis often develops in people who are between the ages of 30 and 40.
Chronic pancreatitis can be fatal to a diabetic and requires the type II diabetic to treat their diabetes more like a type 1, shooting insulin directly into their bodies to compensate for the pancreatic lack of production.
Symptoms for chronic pancreatitis are:
- Nausea/vomiting
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Oily stools
Januvia Lawyers
There has been a shootout between studies of Januvia as of late. On was published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), which studied rats taking Januvia and found that it not only causes pancreatitis, but may also cause pancreatic cancer, which has one of the highest mortality rates of all cancers.
The other study was one that was just published in June that was an observational study of patient records. That study found that Januvia had no more of an instance of pancreatitis than other products of its type. The problem with the study is that the publisher admitted to its somewhat flimsy methodology and was completely funded by both Merck and the producer of the other comparison drugs Eli Lilly.
Regardless, what it comes down to is the patient. If it is found that the drug has a chance of not only causing the diabetes patient to get worse, but suffer permanent damage to their health, then they deserve to have some legal recourse.
The number of Januvia lawsuits is growing as the thousands of Type II diabetics across the country taking the drug are getting sicker. If you or a loved one are currently on Januvia or have just ended treatment due to an onset of pancreatitis then it is important that you find a skilled attorney that is experienced in defective drug litigation so that you can get the compensation you deserve.
Call the Januvia Attorneys at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.
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