The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drugs for sale in the United States. The Danish pharmaceutical company can now market insulin drugs Tresiba and Ryzodeg with a warning that the drugs should not be used in patients with high blood ketone levels.
While Novo Nordisk looks forward to good results from Tresiba and Ryzodeg, its older diabetes medication, Victoza, remains under scrutiny for alleged problems. Victoza is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist approved for use in patients with type 2 diabetes. It belongs to the incretin mimetic class of diabetes drugs along with Byetta, Januvia, and Janumet. Currently, all of these drugs are targeted in a federal litigation pending in the Southern District of California. Plaintiffs in Byetta and Januvia lawsuits claim these drugs led them to develop pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, while plaintiffs in Victoza lawsuits allege that Novo Nordisk’s drug caused pancreatitis, kidney problems, and thyroid tumors. Incretin mimetic lawsuits claim the manufacturers of these drugs failed to adequately warn patients about the risks they posed.
Speak with your doctor if you have any concerns about the medications you are taking. If you or someone close to you suffered pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer after using an incretin mimetic like Byetta or Victoza, contact the lawyers at Lopez McHugh to receive your free legal consultation. We can assess your case and determine whether you may qualify for an incretin mimetic lawsuit.