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Byetta Pancreatitis Lawyers

Keywords:  Byetta Lawyer Pancreatitis  Side Effects

Byetta is made by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc, and marketed jointly by Amylin and Eli Lilly, & Co. The drug was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005 to help type 2 diabetics better control blood sugar when other drugs were not adequate. The twice-daily injection is a synthetic form of a lizard hormone that boosts the production of insulin.

More than 700,000 patients worldwide have used Byetta since it was launched. While diabetics are more vulnerable to developing pancreatitis than those without the disease, it is becoming apparent that this drug increases that risk. Our Byetta pancreatitis lawyers will work hard to make sure that these companies are held accountable for their negligence.

In August 2008, the FDA said it was working with Amylin to add stronger and more prominent warnings on the product label about the risk of acute hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis. However, the FDA did not indicate if such warnings would take the form of a "black box", the agency's most urgent safety alert. Our Byetta pancreatitis lawyer believe that Amylin should have added such a warning much earlier, when the drug's association with pancreatitis became apparent.

FDA Byetta Warnings

Since October 2007, the FDA has issued two warnings regarding Byetta and acute pancreatitis, as well as hemorrhagic and necrotizing pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that can cause bleeding, tissue damage and infection. Severe cases of pancreatitis can lead to the release of toxins and enzymes into the blood stream that can injure the heart, lungs, kidneys or other organs. In some instances, pancreatitis can be fatal.

In October 2007, the FDA issued a health alert after it received 30 reports of Byetta patients who developed acute pancreatitis. Of those, 5 later suffered from kidney failure. Six patients experienced the onset or worsening of symptoms after their dosage of Byetta was increased from 5 milligrams twice daily to 10 milligrams twice daily. And according to the FDA, pancreatitis symptoms in 22 patients subsided or improved once they quit taking Byetta.

Acute pancreatitis comes on suddenly, and is characterized by mild to severe pain in the upper abdomen that may radiate to the back and occasionally to the chest. The pain can be nearly constant for hours or days, and will become worse if a patient drinks alcohol or eats. Bending forward or curling into a fetal position may provide temporary relief. The Byetta pancreatitis lawyers at our firm know how serious and debilitating acute pancreatitis is, and we will make sure that the victims of this dangerous drug receive the compensation they deserve.

At the time of the 2007 alert, the FDA said that Amylin had agreed to include information about acute pancreatitis in the PRECAUTIONS section of the Byetta label. However, as of August 2008, that information still was not included on the Byetta package insert.

In August 2008, the FDA issued its second pancreatitis warning for Byetta. At the time, the agency said that it had received reports of 6 cases of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis in patients taking Byetta since its October alert. All patients required hospitalization, two patients died and four patients were recovering at time of reporting.  Byetta was discontinued in all 6 cases.

Hemorrhagic pancreatitis is inflammation that involves bleeding. Necrotizing pancreatitis occurs when the inflamed pancreas destroys itself. There are no signs or symptoms that distinguish hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis associated with Byetta from the less severe form of pancreatitis.

The FDA alert said that Byetta should be discontinued if pancreatitis is suspected. The FDA also said doctors should consider antidiabetic therapies other than Byetta in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Patients taking Byetta should seek prompt medical care if they experience unexplained persistent severe abdominal pain which may or may not be accompanied by vomiting. 

Legal Help Byetta Pancreatitis Victims

If you or a loved one suffered from acute pancreatitis, necrotizing pancreatitis or hemorrhagic pancreatitis that may have been caused by Byetta, you have valuable legal rights. Please fill out our online form or call 1-800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) to discuss your case with an experienced Byetta pancreatitis lawyer.