As Byetta Lawsuit Filings Mount, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes New Study That Raises Questions About the Costs and Benefits of Newer Diabetes Drugs

New York, New York (PRWEB) March 29, 2014

As Byetta lawsuits (http://www.byettalawsuit.com) continue to move forward in federal court, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes that a newly published study is raising questions about the costs and benefits associated with newer medications used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. According to researchers at the University of Michigan, Byetta and other diabetes drugs known as incretin mimetics may not work any better compared to sulfonylurea, though they are considerably more expensive. The study looked at 15 years of data from more than 37,000 patients, and found drugs like Byetta cost patients and insurance companies anywhere from $1,600 to $2,400 more than the older drug over the course of a patient's disease. Patients treated with Byetta and similar drugs did not appear to live longer or suffer from fewer complications compared to those who were prescribed sulfonylurea.*

"Dozens of lawsuits have been filed in federal court that allege an association between drugs like Byetta and pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis and thyroid cancer. The findings of this study suggest that the risks and benefits associated with this class of medications need further evaluation," says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is currently offering free Byetta lawsuit evaluations to patients who may have been harmed by this drug.

Byetta Pancreatic Cancer Allegations
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), incretin mimetics are used in combination with diet and exercise to reduce blood sugar levels in people with type II diabetes. These drugs work by mimicking incretin hormones, which the body would normally produce to stimulate the release of insulin in response to a meal. Medications in this class include the GLP-1 agonists Byetta and Victoza, and the DPP-IV inhibitors Januvia, Onglyza and Tradjenta.**

On March 14, 2013, the FDA announced it was investigating findings from an unpublished study that indicated that incretin mimetics could be associated with cellular changes in the pancreas called pancreatic duct metaplasia, a precursor to cancer. Though the agency has been unable to conclude that such a link exists, its review is ongoing.

Since the FDA announced its safety review, a growing number of Byetta lawsuits and other product liability claims have been filed in courts around the country by people who were allegedly harmed by incretin mimetics. At least 320 such claims have been consolidated in a multidistrict litigation currently underway in U.S. District Court, Southern District of California. All of these lawsuits similarly allege that use of Byetta and other drugs caused patients to develop pancreatic cancer, and accuse the manufacturers of incretin mimetics of failing to provide adequate warnings regarding their harmful effects on the pancreas. (In Re: Incretins Products Liability, Sales and Marketing Litigation, MDL 2452)

Patients treated with Byetta, Januvia, Victoza or other incretin mimetics are urged to contact Bernstein Liebhard LLP for a free legal consultation if they have been diagnosed with pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer or thyroid cancer. To learn more about the litigation involving Byetta lawsuits and other incretin mimetic claims, please visit the Firm's website, or call 800-511-5092 to arrange for a case review.

*ns.umich.edu/new/releases/22014-newer-diabetes-drugs-cost-more-but-may-not-work-better?utm_source, University of Michigan, February 27, 2014
**fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm343516.htm, FDA, March 2014

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs' Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for the past 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since the list was first published in 2003.

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