JANUVIA
Acute pancreatitis linked to diabetes drugs Januvia and Janumet

If you or a loved one are diabetic, you should know that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently alerted patients and healthcare professionals that two drugs prescribed to diabetics and manufactured by Merck & Co. – Januvia and Janumet – may lead to a sudden inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis.

If you developed pancreatitis after using Januvia or Janumet, contact us today for a free legal consultation. The attorneys at the personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg have decades of experience obtaining compensation for injured victims in practice areas that include: accidents/general injury, dangerous drugs, medical malpractice, and environmental pollutants.

FDA MEDICAL ALERT

January 18, 2010 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning to the medical community that it has received reports of 88 cases of acute pancreatitis from diabetics using Merck & Co. drugs: Januvia (sitagliptin) and Janumet (sitagliptin/metformin).

Hospitalization was necessary for 58 patients (66 percent), four of whom were admitted to the intensive care unit. Two severe cases of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis were also identified, according to the FDA.

The most common adverse Januvia side effects reported were abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

The FDA received these 88 patient reports between October 16, 2006 and February 9, 2009, and required drug manufacturer Merck & Co. to revise prescribing information for Januvia and Janumet to include:

• Information regarding reports of acute pancreatitis, including the severe forms, hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis.
• A recommendation that healthcare professionals monitor patients carefully for the development of pancreatitis after initiation or dose increases of Januvia or Janumet; and to discontinue Januvia or Janumet if pancreatitis is suspected while using these products.
• Information noting that Januvia has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Therefore, it is not known whether these patients are at an increased risk for developing pancreatitis while using Januvia or Janumet.
• Januvia or Janumet should be used with caution and with appropriate monitoring in patients with a history of pancreatitis.

Law firm for Januvia and Janumet injury

While the manufacturer updates Januvia and Janumet’s warning labels to include these newly identified dangers, many injured patients are wondering if they have a case against the drugs’ manufacturer, Merck & Co.

If you were diagnosed with pancreatitis after using Januvia or Janumet, you may contact us for free legal consultation.

At no cost to you, we will determine if you are entitled to financial rewards for medical bills, lost wages and damages related to the use of Januvia and Janumet. Use the communication form on this page to initiate a free legal review today.

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see also:

Our Attorneys Janumet and Januvia Health Risks | Weitz & Luxenberg attorneys
Free case review is available from our attorneys for Type 2 diabetes patients who developed pancreatitis after taking Janumet or Januvia.

Legal Help Januvia Lawyers For Cases Related to Pancreatitis | Weitz & Luxenberg
Did use of Januvia or Janumet lead to pancreatitis? Our lawyers are curently speaking with people who were injured after taking Sitagliptin

Merck Januvia Merck's Januvia linked to Acute Pancreatitis | Weitz & Luxenberg
Have you taken Januvia by Merck and contracted acute pancreatitis? Learn more here.