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Merck Sees Drop in Sales of Januvia, Diabetes Drug Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

May 17, 2013 By

Javunia_Pancreatic-CancerOverview: Merck saw a drop in quarterly sales of Januvia, a diabetes drug that has been under scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to research linking it to pancreatic cancer. Januvia is part of a class of drugs called incretin mimetics. Other medications in this class include: exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon), liraglutide (Victoza), saxagliptin (Onglyza, Kombiglyze XR), alogliptin (Nesina, Kazano, Oseni), and linagliptin (Tradjenta, Jentadueto). Januvia and Byetta lawsuits have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation; plaintiffs allege that the drugs caused pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis.

Product: Januvia (sitagliptin), Byetta (exenatide)

Manufacturer: Merck & Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Side Effects & Complications

  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Thyroid cancer
  • Pancreatitis

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Defective Drugs

Heavy Use of Pain Medication Increases Risk for Erectile Dysfunction

May 16, 2013 By

erectile_dysfuction_pain_medicationA newly published study in the journal Spine reports that men taking high doses of prescription pain medication for long periods of time are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction (ED).

Researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research at Oregon Health & Science University, in Portland, Oregon, examined the health records of 11,000 men taking prescription painkillers, like oxycodone, to treat chronic back pain, FoxNews.com reports. Men who took high doses of opioids for longer than four months were 50 percent more likely to require medication to treat ED than men who were not taking painkillers. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Defective Drugs

Drug Maker Sanofi Heavily Fined Over Efforts to Limit Sales of Plavix Generic

May 15, 2013 By

sanofi_plavixFrench drug maker Sanofi was fined 40.6 million euros ($52.8 million) by France’s competition regulator for trying to limit sales of generic versions of the blood thinner drug Plavix (clopidogrel).

According to Bloomberg News, France’s Competition Authority acted on a complaint by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., a major manufacturer of generic medicines. In a statement on its website, the Competition Authority said that Sanofi’s sales force cast doubts on the efficacy of generic versions of Plavix in conversations with doctors and pharmacists. The regulator said Sanofi representatives urged doctors to write prescriptions that do not allow a generic to be substituted for Plavix, or, if the doctor prescribes a generic, to prescribe Sanofi’s generic, not a competitor’s version. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Defective Drugs, Plavix, Plavix

New Lawsuit Alleges Actos Led to Bladder Cancer and Wrongful Death of Ohio Man

May 15, 2013 By

actos_bladder_cancerA lawsuit recently filed on behalf of the estate of an Ohio man is another case included in a multidistrict litigation involving the diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone).  The suit alleges that the deceased developed bladder cancer as a result of taking Actos and that Takeda Pharmaceutical failed to adequately warn about this risk.

According to the court documents, the deceased man took Actos, a medication to help control blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes, from June 2002 to February 2007.  At the time he stopped taking Actos, he had developed bladder cancer and died in September 2007. The suit alleges that Takeda Pharmaceutical was aware of the bladder-cancer risk but failed to disclose this information to the plaintiff, his doctor, or other consumers. The suit seeks damages for his extensive pain and suffering, and severe emotional distress. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Actos, Defective Drugs

FDA Warns Pregnant Women: Depakote Use for Migraines Could Lower Child’s IQ

May 13, 2013 By

Depakote_Lower_IQThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning pregnant women who suffer from migraines that Depakote (valproate), a common treatment for migraines, could lower a child’s IQ by eight to 11 points.

The FDA is changing Depakote’s pregnancy classification from Category D – meaning that the drug’s potential benefits may warrant its use by pregnant women despite potential risks – to Category X, meaning that the risks involved in the use of the drug by pregnant women clearly outweigh potential benefits. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Depakote
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