Diabetes News Byetta Diabetes Drug

Byetta Pancreatic Injury and Fatality Alert

What is Byetta®?
Byetta®, is an injectable diabetes medication that can help people with Type II Diabetes improve their long-term control of blood sugar levels. most often prescribed for patients with Type II diabetes who have not been able to achieve sufficient blood sugar control on oral diabetes medications. It is sometimes prescribed alone, and sometimes as supplementary therapy with other diabetes medications.

Byetta®, the trade name for exenatide, is an incretin mimetic, a non-insulin diabetes medication that helps control blood sugar by lowering post-meal and fasting glucose levels.

Serious health problems and six fatalities associated with Byetta®
In October 2007, less than two years after the multinational pharmaceutical company Eli Lily and Amylin brought Byetta® to market, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that Byetta® may cause acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a painful inflammatory condition in which pancreatic digestive enzymes attack the pancreas itself. Pancreatitis can lead to severe complications, and can even be fatal. The FDA acted after it had received more than 30 reports of pancreatitis in Byetta® users.

In August 2008, the FDA reported that six more people were hospitalized for severe hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis. All six patients were using Byetta® when they developed pancreatitis. Two of those six patients died, and an additional four patients using Byetta have also died.

Adverse side effects frequently associated with Byetta® include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and indigestion. Hypoglycemia can occur when Byetta® is used with a sulfonylurea. Patients who have severe renal impairment or end-stage renal disease or are on dialysis face significantly higher risk of developing serious gastrointestinal side effects.

What should you do if you have used Byetta®?
If you are using Byetta® and you have experienced severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, or hypoglycemia, you should consult your prescribing physician as soon as possible.

Should you contact an attorney?
If you or a loved one have used Byetta® and have been diagnosed with an inflamed pancreas or pancreatitis while using Byetta®, or your loved one has died while using Byetta®, you should contact an attorney immediately for review of a potential claim against the manufacturer. Statutes of limitation, which are deadlines set by state law, regulate the filing of lawsuits, and they vary from state to state. If the statute of limitations in your state expires, your right to pursue a claim against the manufacturer may be forever barred. If you or a loved one was harmed by Byetta, you should not delay in contacting an attorney.

Casey Gerry can help you with your Byetta® case
Casey Gerry is a San Diego plaintiff’s law firm and a nationally recognized advocate for patients who have been injured by harmful drugs or devices. Firm partner Gayle Blatt and her associate Wendy Behan have been involved in such high-profile national pharmaceutical and medical device cases as L-Tryptophan, Baycol, the Sulzer hip, Propulsid, Rezulin, and Metabolife. She works with individual clients, rather than class actions, so that she can focus on her clients’ specific needs. Gayle Blatt and her associate Wendy Behan are currently evaluating claims on behalf of individuals around the country who have been seriously harmed by Byetta®.

If you believe that you or a loved one has been injured or a loved one has died as a result of using Byetta®, use the form to contact Gayle Blatt or Wendy Behan immediately.