Byetta Information

Byetta is an injectable medicine used to control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. In October of 2007 the FDA released an alert for Health Care Professionals regarding post marketing reports of pancreatitis in at least 30 patients. The FDA reviewed the 30 post marketing reports of acute pancreatitis in patients treated with Byetta.

Twenty-seven of the 30 patients had at least one other risk factor for acute pancreatitis such as gallstones, severe hypertriglyceridemia, and alcohol use. In six patients the symptoms of pancreatitis began or worsened soon after the dose of Byetta was increased from 5 micrograms twice daily to 10 micrograms twice daily. Twenty-one patients were hospitalized. There were no reports of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis. However, five patients developed serious complications including dehydration and renal failure; suspected ileus; phlegmon; and ascites.

On August 18, 2008 the FDA released an update of their October 2007 data. In the 10 months since the first report, 6 patients being treated with Byetta had been diagnosed with hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis. All of these patients needed to be hospitalized and two of the patient's pancreatitis resulted in death.

If you or someone you love has taken Byetta and suffer from hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis, contact our service today. We can help you get in touch with experienced and knowledgeable Byetta attorneys who can help you protect your legal rights.