Victoza, a drug used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes which received FDA approval in  2010, has suffered serious Victoza safety concerns as more patients are reporting adverse health issues after taking the drug. The advocacy group, Public Citizen, filed a petition with the FDA in April of 2012, requesting that Victoza be removed from the market. The group cited higher-than-normal risks of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, severe allergic reactions, kidney failure and pancreatic cancer, stating these risks far outweighed the benefits of the drug.

For all those who have been harmed from taking a drug which was not well-tested or simply turned out to be dangerous, their only recourse may be to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the drug in order to obtain compensation for their injuries. Byetta is one such drug; research has shown that Byetta may bring potential risks of serious illness among those taking the drug. Byetta was developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, along with diet and exercise by controlling blood sugar in the body when it becomes too high.

Victoza, a drug approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, gained FDA approval in 2010 and was touted as an amazing new injectable diabetic drug which only required once-daily injections and was not dependent upon the food eaten or the level of activity. Over 26 million people in the United States are affected by diabetes therefore the market for diabetic drugs has literally skyrocketed. At the time Victoza was submitted by its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, for FDA approval, there were two FDA pharmacologists and one FDA clinical safety reviewer who did not believe the drug warranted approval until further safety studies were conducted. 

Byetta is a drug administered via injection twice daily—within an hour prior to breakfast and dinner. Byetta (exenatide) is intended to treat Type 2 diabetes, mimicking the effects of incretins which are hormones produced and released by the intestines when a person eats a meal. The human-glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) increases insulin secretions from the pancreas, slows the absorption of glucose in the stomach and effectively slows the speed of the glucagon. Exenatide is a synthesized version of a substance found in the saliva of the Southwestern Gila monster and is 50% identical to a hormone found naturally in the human body. GLP-1 has been found to reduce the appetite by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach—although patients are cautioned against using Byetta as a treatment for obesity.

Those patients taking the drug Victoza for the treatment of their Type 2 diabetes are likely to have a number of questions regarding the safety of the drug. Whether the drug causes such serious health problems as pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, kidney disease and pancreatitis is currently being debated with a number of studies pointing to these dangers. Several studies have placed the risks of a patient taking Victoza and developing pancreatitis at as much as three times that of those taking an older diabetes drug, and the risks of pancreatic cancer is significantly increased as well. Victoza works by mimicking the actions of incretin hormones in the body.