A lawsuit has been filed against the manufacturers of Byetta, an injectable medicine used to improve glucose (blood sugar) control in adults with type 2 diabetes, for failing to adequately test the drug before it was released into the marketplace.

Lawsuit claims drug was rushed to market

The lawsuit was filed by a Virginia man who was hospitalized after being injected with Byetta, the diabetes medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005. It alleges that the manufacturers of Byetta, Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, essentially rushed the diabetes drug to market and failed to adequately test it prior to market release. The lawsuit also alleges that the manufacturers failed to adequately monitor patients using the drug or inform doctors and patients of the serious risk of developing pancreatitis – an inflammation of the pancreas that is characterized by persistent abdominal pain.

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2007: FDA receives news of injuries

The FDA began receiving complaints about reported pancreatic hemmorrhaging in patients who were injected with Byetta ( last year. It issued a warning in October of 2007 stating that it had “reviewed 30 post marketing reports of acute pancreatitis in patients taking Byetta (also known as exenatide),” and that it found that, “an association between Byetta and acute pancreatitis is suspected in some of these cases.” As a result, the FDA required the manufacturers to include a warning on the product’s label.

2008: FDA receives news of deaths & issues warning

On August 18, 2008, the FDA warned consumers and doctors that it had received reports of death that were linked to Byetta use. The warning, says:

[The] FDA has received reports of six cases of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis in patients taking Byetta… Of the six cases… all patients required hospitalization, two patients died and four patients were recovering at time of reporting. Byetta was discontinued in all six cases. Byetta and other potentially suspect drugs should be promptly discontinued if pancreatitis is suspected.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to Byetta use, contact an attorney whose practice focuses in this area of law to discuss your situation confidentially. Consultations are free and without obligation. To contact an experienced Byetta attorney, please click here. We may be able to help.

Suffered harm from Byetta? You may have a lawsuit. Click here, for a top rated law firm to evaluate your legal rights. [Sponsored link]