Recent reports in the JAMA Internal Medicine indicate that patients taking Januvia are at a higher risk of developing pancreatitis when compared with those taking other Type 2 diabetic drugs which do not contain sitaglipin. The JAMA journal found that those suffering from pancreatitis who were hospitalized were twice as likely to have been taking Januvia.  Januvia is an oral anti-hyperglycemic belonging to a class of drugs known as incretin mimetics which stimulate the production of insulin. 

A relatively new class of drugs known as sitagliptin includes the brand name Januvia and is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Januvia—along with others in the same class—has been shown in some studies to bring significant risks to patients taking the drug. Januvia blocks or inhibits DPP-4 in the body, allowing the patient’s system to better control glucose levels as well as increasing the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas when the blood sugar is high. These DPP-4 blockers can also reduce the amount of sugar produced by the liver when the body does not need the excess. 

Januvia, a drug approved in 2006 by the FDA to be used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, has been found to bring a risk of pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer among users. Reports of 88 serious cases of pancreatitis were sent to the FDA between the time Januvia was approved and 2009. Of these 88 cases, over half resolved when Januvia was discontinued. At least one-fifth of the patients had only been taking Januvia for a month or less and 75% of the patients required hospitalization. 

As more time passes, it appears more people are coming forward to say they have been harmed by a drug they believed to be safe—in this case, Januvia.  Januvia, manufactured by Merck & Co., is a drug used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Januvia controls blood sugar when the body is unable to do so and is meant to be used in conjunction with diet and exercise. Sitagliptin, the active ingredient in Januvia, works by inhibiting an enzyme known as DPP-4 which breaks down the hormones sending signals to the pancreas to produce more insulin. After FDA approval in 2006, scores of adverse reports were submitted to the FDA by Januvia users and recent studies show a definite link between Januvia and pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer.