Stern Law Answering Your Questions about Onglyza
The skilled product liability attorneys at Stern Law, PLLC, are currently taking cases involving injuries from use of the drug Onglyza. If you used Onglyza and developed subsequent cardiovascular issues, contact our offices today to see if you could be entitled to compensation.
Onglyza Use and Injuries
Onglyza is manufactured by AstraZeneca and is part of a class of drugs known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors. Onglyza has been FDA-approved since 2009 to improve glycemic control, or regulate insulin levels, in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which a person has high levels of sugar in his or her blood, due to the body not making enough of the hormone insulin to regulate blood sugar. Onglyza contains the active ingredient saxagliptin and has not been approved for treatment of type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Studies have shown that diabetic treatment with saxagliptin can increase the risk of heart failure, particularly in patients who already have heart disease or kidney disease. Historically, patients with diabetes are more susceptible to developing kidney disease. Heart failure, which occurs when the heart does not pump blood well enough throughout the body, can lead to a host of other issues, including death in the most serious cases.
Signs of heart failure can include one or more of the following:
- Abnormal shortness of breath during usual daily activities
- Difficulty breathing when in a lying position
- Persistent coughing or wheezing
- Irregular heart beat or heart rate
- Fatigue, weakness, general tiredness
- Unexplained weight gain, especially with swelling in the ankles, hands, feet, legs, or stomach
FDA Intervention
In February 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested clinical trial data from AstraZeneca, as the manufacturer of saxagliptin-containing diabetes medications. The FDA asked for this data to investigate the potential association between use of the drug saxagliptin and subsequent heart failure. This action was prompted by a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that reported an increased rate of hospitalization for heart failure when patients were taking saxagliptin. The FDA also encouraged healthcare providers at this time to report any adverse events associated with saxagliptin.
In April 2016, the FDA reported the subject clinical trials showed that more patients who received saxagliptin were hospitalized for heart failure, compared to patients who received a placebo treatment. The FDA then took action to change the Onglyza label to include a warning about the risks of heart failure when taking the medication. It also encouraged healthcare providers to discontinue treatment with Onglyza if their patients developed heart failure.
Onglyza Lawsuit Details
If you were treated with Onglyza for type 2 diabetes and have developed heart failure, you might be entitled to file a lawsuit against AstraZeneca. The lawsuits currently being filed against AstraZeneca allege that it failed to warn patients and their doctors about the risks of heart failure with Onglyza use, and that it sold Onglyza in a defective, or unreasonably dangerous, condition.
In pursuing claims for our clients’ Onglyza injuries, we work to secure the following types of compensation:
- Past medical bills for treatment related to your heart failure;
- Future medical bills, if you will need additional treatment for heart failure;
- Lost wages, if you missed work or cannot currently work because of your heart failure;
- Lost future wages, if you will not be able to return to work;
- Compensation for the physical and mental pain and suffering you have incurred and will incur as a result of your injuries;
- Loss of consortium, which is a claim brought by a spouse for loss of companionship in a marriage, as the result of spousal injuries; and
- Punitive damages, where the circumstances of the litigation show an award that carries the effect of punishment for the manufacturer would be appropriate.
While it is impossible to produce a prescription drug with zero side effects, manufacturers have an obligation to adequately warn patients and the medical community about the side effects associated with their drugs. At Stern Law, we hold the manufacturers accountable and strive to ensure our clients receive just compensation, while attempting to make the pharmaceutical world safer for people down the road. Our attorneys have more than 30 years of product litigation experience and are not afraid to take on the largest corporations or the most complicated cases.
Contact Stern Law, PLLC
At Stern Law, PLLC, we understand how your drug product injuries have affected your life, and we are committed to helping you move forward with the compensation you deserve. If you or a loved one took prescription Onglyza and have been diagnosed with heart failure, contact Stern Law, PLLC, at (844) 808-7529, to schedule a free consultation with one of our skilled product liability attorneys.
