Defective Diabetes Drugs SGLT-2 Inhibitors Diabetes Linked to Amputations of the Legs, Feet and Toes Sodium-Glucose co-Transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are medications designed to combat the ongoing and ever-increasing threat of Type 2 diabetes. These drugs offer the patient a convenient method of controlling their blood sugar after consuming a meal and work together with […]
Sodium-Glucose co-Transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are medications designed to combat the ongoing and ever-increasing threat of Type 2 diabetes. These drugs offer the patient a convenient method of controlling their blood sugar after consuming a meal and work together with the insulin our bodies naturally produce. These drugs typically come in pill or tablet form.
Despite initial excitement surrounding the launch of these medications, SGLT2 inhibitors now must be used with extreme caution. SGLT2 inhibitor drugs have significant side effects ranging from diabetic ketoacidosis and kidney damage, to urinary tract infections, and sometimes even lead to amputation of the feet and legs at or below the knee. The question now for people who have Type 2 diabetes is whether the benefit from taking SGLT2 inhibitor drugs is worth the risk of suffering debilitating or catastrophic injuries caused by their side effects.
People with Type 2 diabetes recently became aware of the potentially devastating side effects possible from taking an SGLT2 inhibitor drug. That was not always the case. Many people who first took these drugs were unaware of the possible serious risks associated with taking SGLT2 inhibitors, and many suffered tremendous physical injuries and financial damage as a consequence. Hundreds of injured people have now had to file claims against the SGLT2 inhibitor manufacturers to seek compensation for their damages because those companies failed to adequately warn their customers about the side effects that they could face if they took these drugs. Whether the companies were merely negligent in failing to disclose the full universe of side effects or whether they failed to conduct sufficient testing of these drugs remains to be seen. Perhaps the numerous lawsuits now pending in courts across the country, particularly those pending in New Jersey, can shed some light on the issue.
Parker Waichman LLP, a national plaintiff’s personal injury law firm, is accepting clients who suffered injuries from taking SGLT2 inhibitor prescriptions. In January of 2018, Parker Waichman LLP announced that its drug defect lawyers filed two lawsuits against the makers of Invokana, a commonly prescribed SGLT2 inhibitor manufactured by Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, on behalf of clients who were forced to undergo lower leg amputations after taking this drug. If you or someone you love has faced an amputation or other medical complication from taking an SGLT2 inhibitor like Invokana, consult Parker Waichman’s SGLT2 inhibitor drug defect lawyers for information on filing a claim for financial compensation.
Johnson & Johnson, with its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, manufactures the SGLT2 inhibitors known by their brand names Invokana (canagliflozin), Invokamet (canagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride), and Invokamet XR (canagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride, extended-release).
Invokana has been connected to dangerous side effects by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2015, the FDA announced that Invokana was proven to increase acid in the bloodstream. This condition in people with diabetes is known as diabetic ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis initially causes vomiting, nausea, and difficulty in breathing, and if not treated, may even lead to a coma or death. The FDA also announced in 2015 that Invokana could cause very dangerous urinary tract infections.
In May of 2017, the FDA required Janssen Pharmaceuticals to include a “Black Box Warning” on their line of Invokana products. The FDA ordered this warning because Invokana had been linked to foot and leg ulcers which subsequently caused massive infections. These infections required amputation of the foot and lower leg in some instances. Janssen omitted from any literature that their product could lead to severe infections requiring amputation when they applied for FDA approval of the drug.
AstraZeneca and Bristol-Meyers Squibb jointly manufacture and market Farxiga and Xigduo (dapagliflozin). Like Invokana, the Ferxiga line of products is marketed to people with Type 2 diabetes, and is intended to work in conjunction with weight loss and responsible eating to control blood sugar.
Like Invokana, Farxiga and Xigduo also can cause diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening medical condition caused by insulin deprivation, and can include symptoms of dehydration, fever, cough, and chills. Some people who suffer diabetic ketoacidosis may find that their health deteriorates rapidly, resulting in them falling into a coma. In the worst cases, diabetic ketoacidosis can be fatal. The fatality rate ranges from approximately 0.67% to 2.0% of all cases of diabetic ketoacidosis. Fatalities from diabetic ketoacidosis are usually found in cases where the patient is older and is suffering from other severe medical problems, like pneumonia or hypertension, or in children.
Mild diabetic ketoacidosis can be treated with insulin infusion and hydration. However, ketoacidosis can affect breathing functions. When ketoacidosis sets in, the body can no longer remove all of the ketones in the body through urination. The acid then moves into the lungs through the bloodstream in the body’s attempt to expel the acid through breathing. This acid in the lungs can dangerously slow respiration. A person in this condition will need to be hospitalized from one to two days depending on their symptoms when entering the hospital.
Farxiga and Xigduo are also known to cause severe urinary tract infections and yeast infections in both men and women. To this point, Farxiga has not been associated with an increased risk of amputations.
Eli Lilly manufacturers and markets Jardiance (empagliflozin). Like other gliflozin (SGLT2 inhibitor) medications, Jardiance carries with it the threat of causing diabetic ketoacidosis and yeast infections, and some Jardiance users have developed kidney damage and failure from the continued use of the product. Unlike Invokana, Jardiance has not been linked to an increased risk of amputations at this time. However, some people who have taken Jardiance have required amputation of their lower extremities.
Patients must be monitored closely by their physicians to ensure that their kidneys have not suffered irreparable damage from taking Jardiance.
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At Parker Waichman LLP, our products liability attorneys vigorously pursue damages for our clients who were injured through no fault of their own. If you or your family member sustained a severe injury or had a leg, foot or toe amputated from taking an SGLT2 inhibitor drug manufactured by any of the drug makers listed above, call Parker Waichman LLP today at 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) or use our contact form.
