What is Onglyza and How Does it Work?
Onglyza (saxagliptin) is a diabetes drug manufactured by AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company. It works by stimulating the growth of pancreatic cells in an effort to control insulin resistance. It increases the levels of incretins, a substance responsible for controlling blood sugar, particularly after a meal.
While there’s no doubt about this drug’s efficacy, there are concerns over the side-effects experienced by individuals taking it. This is a relatively new drug, so it’s not easy to know what the long-term effects are. Over the last couple of years, many people have been complaining about heart problems and hospitalization after taking this drug. In addition, others have been hospitalized for pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), developed thyroid disease, suffered from chronic joint pain and suffered kidney complications.
Onglyza and Heart Failure Risk
The exact mechanism that causes heart failure in people taking Onglyza isn’t known; however, it’s thought that this diabetes drug may cause inflammation of various body organs leading to their dysfunction. Onglyza has been prescribed by doctors since 2009, but it hasn’t gone through extensive testing to monitor its safety.
Onglyza belongs to a class of drugs known as incretin mimetics. The Journal of Diabetes’ March 2013 issue published a study showing that these drugs may cause adenomas, leading to pancreatic cancer in patients who take them for an extended period of time. They went as far as to dissect deceased patient’s pancreases and found that their organs were enlarged compared to those of the general public.
With regard to heart issues, Onglyza is said to increase the risk of a patient’s hospitalization due to heart failure by up to 27 percent. In April of 2015, the FDA said that it was considering asking the drug manufacturer to change its labeling to indicate heart failure risk for patients taking this medication so they’re able to make the right decisions or carry out a risk-benefit analysis going forward.
Drug companies often meet a real need when they develop life-saving drugs. That being said, due to the fact that there are less-than-perfect rules and regulations targeting the pharmaceutical industry, patients end up being involuntary guinea pigs for medication that doesn’t have a long enough track record with regard to safety. At the same time, drug companies usually surround themselves with dozens of lawyers to help protect their interests as well as shoot down any claims of drug injury.
Suffered Heart Failure From Taking Onglyza?
Heart failure can lead to congestive heart disease which may shorten a person’s life or lower their quality of life. You and your loved ones deserve answers (as well as solutions) to your health problems. If you’ve taken Onglyza in the past and have developed heart disease or failure, please contact an experienced Onglyza drug injury lawyer today by calling 1-877-659-2580. Rasansky Law Firm offers free consultations with regard to Onglyza injury claims, and can help explain the options available to you.
