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.
A UCLA study reported in the journal of Gastroenterology put the risk of Januvia pancreatitis at six times the normal rate and the risk of pancreatic cancer at 2.9 times the normal rate. Januvia pancreatic cancer attorneys are reaching out to all those Januvia patients who expected the drug they were prescribed to be safe, yet ended up with a serious illness. Januvia—like several other diabetic drugs currently on the market—keep Type 2 diabetes under control by affecting the GLP-1 metabolic pathway.
Because Januvia users had no idea of the potential risks involved, lawsuits are being filed against Merck & Co., the manufacturer of the drug. As of April, 2013, one consolidated proceeding involving multiple Januvia pancreatic cancer lawsuits is pending in Los Angeles, while there is another motion pending requesting the creation of a federal MDL in the Southern District of California. Over a dozen Januvia lawsuits are currently filed in this area, and this motion would consolidate those cases.
While many Januvia lawsuits have been filed, none have yet gone to trial. In cases such as these those harmed by Januvia as well as Januvia lawsuit lawyers wait anxiously for the outcome of the first trial, as, in many cases, this outcome will set the tone for the remainder of the suits. A Januvia bellwether trial is set for this summer, although it is believed that bellwether trial may be postponed in light of the pending MDL. Many of those harmed by Januvia—or any other defective drug or medical device—may believe that a Januvia class action suit is their best course of action. It’s important to understand that those who join a Januvia class action suit will be subject to only an equal portion of the settlement even though their actual injuries could be much more severe than those of others involved in the suit.
Januvia patients who join an MDL or mass tort, on the other hand, reap the benefits of shared resources, however remain individualized. This means those patients who suffered greater levels of injury will receive larger settlements. In other words, the Januvia user who suffered a serious degree of injury from the drug would be unlikely to be compensated fairly if they opted to take part in a class action lawsuit against Merck. While it is expected that Merck will likely argue that diabetics are more vulnerable to developing pancreatitis than the general population, a body of research nonetheless points to the fact that those taking Januvia are at a much greater risk of pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer.
Most attorneys involved in Januvia lawssuit believe there was a failure to warn consumers of the potential hazards of Januvia. Victims of Januvia who suffered serious harm from the drug could benefit from knowledgeable representation of attorneys who have the experience and background to handle the serious injury cases related to Januvia.