Diabetes Drugs Janumet, Byetta and Victoza Are Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

Cancer is a serious and life-threatening disease in all forms. Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates. Indeed, while pancreatic cancer survival rates have been getting better from decade to decade, the disease is still considered largely incurable.

It’s, therefore, highly disturbing to find out that taking a number of diabetes drugs, appears to increase your risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

As a Virginia dangerous drugs lawyer, I am investigating reports that patients with type-2 diabetes who are taking the drugs Januvia, Janumet, Byetta, Victoza or Bydureon have an increased risk of developing pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

A study being carried out by the Islet Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, found a six-fold increase of reported cases of pancreatitis linked to patients who have been taking Byetta or Januvia and a 2.9-fold rise in reported cases of pancreatic cancer among those who were taking Byetta as well as a 2.7-fold increase of reported pancreatic cancer among Januvia users.

The study makes for sobering reading. According to the American Cancer Society, for all states of pancreatic cancer combined, the one-year relative survival rate is a mere 20 percent, and the five-year rate is just four percent.

Janumet
These are not the first diabetes drugs to be linked to cancer. I have written about how the diabetes drug Actos has been linked to bladder cancer and is the subject of hundreds of lawsuits.

If you have been harmed by a drug that was intended to help you, call our Virginia Beach dangerous drugs lawyers at Cooper Hurley at 757.455.0077.