FDA Reports 30 Cases Which Link Byetta And Pancreatitis
On April 28, 2005, the giant pharmaceutical companies Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Company released a new injectable medication onto the diabetes treatment market. The drug is a synthetic version of a hormone found in the saliva of the Gila monster, a type of venomous lizard that lives in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its effectiveness is attributed to the fact that the lizard’s hormone is very similar to glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that is found in the human digestive track that can increase insulin production when blood sugar levels are too high. It was intended to address patients that had tried the popular oral drugs that were already widely accepted and distributed, but had not seen any results, or at least not the results they expected. About two years later, however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) positively identified a link between Byetta and pancreatitis. The Byetta and pancreatitis problem was made public when the FDA warned the large healthcare companies that no less than 30 cases directly linked their product to the painful malady, which is characterized by an inflamed pancreas. This inflammation can lead to many debilitating ailments, or even death. The most common initial side effect is abdominal pain, but there are many others, and they vary as to seriousness and severity. The FDA reports linking Byetta and pancreatitis noted the following troubling trends of regular use: Symptoms worsened when the dose was increased 21 of the victims were hospitalized 5 of the victims developed more severe complications such as dehydration, kidney failure, and intestinal obstruction 22 reported improvement after they stopped taking the drug
Although not as serious, common adverse reactions to the medicine, which may be signs of complications, include some of the following: Patients are cautioned to take careful note of these warning signs. If you experience any of thee symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately, and possibly select the services of a Byetta attorney . Although the FDA does not recommend that anyone stop taking medication without consulting their doctor or other healthcare professional, you may want to contact someone immediately to discover options for changing management medications, before you develop more acute symptoms, such as the following: Shock Hypocalcemia (low calcium) High blood glucose Dehydration Kidney failure Respiratory complications Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) Infection of the organ bed
Manufacturers are in the process of developing a longer-acting version of the drug. Given concerns over the potential problems in the current formula, the FDA will likely require a longer-term study of any newly developed drug. If the medication does cause damage to the pancreas, a formulation with a longer half-life will simply remain in the body longer and potentially cause even more injury.
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