Florida Januvia Lawyer

Januvia is used to treat people with type-2 diabetes and works by stimulating the pancreas to create more insulin, which helps lower a person’s blood-sugar levels. This medication is part of a classification of drugs known as “Incretin mimetics” and inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), which is an enzyme that naturally occurs in the gut and breaks down hormones that stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin.

In 2013, researchers at Johns Hopkins University published research, which suggested that taking Januvia could nearly double a person’s likelihood of developing acute pancreatitis. Pharmaceutical companies have a duty to warn the public of all potential risks of their medication as soon as they are known. However, this company failed to properly warn the public of this dangerous side effect and as a result, numerous lawsuits have been filed against them.If you or a loved one were prescribed Januvia and have subsequently developed pancreatic cancer or another dangerous side effect, consider working with a West Palm Beach Januvia lawyer. A skilled mass torts attorney can help you file a lawsuit to recover compensation from Januvia’s manufacturer for your injuries and losses.

Lawsuits Filed After Using Januvia

In August 2013, hundreds of Januvia lawsuits were centralized into a single Federal court in California. These lawsuits claim that Merck manufactured and produced Januvia, which is a flawed product.

While these lawsuits have been consolidated, it is important to note that these lawsuits are not proceeding as a class action suit, but rather as individual suits that all contain similar allegations. This means that any person claiming to have suffered an injury from Januvia will still have to prove their injuries as well as their damages.

Role of the FDA in Mass Torts Claims

The Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Reporting System reported that individuals who were treated with medications were six times more likely to report adverse side effects such as pancreatitis and were three times more likely to report pancreatic cancer than those who were not prescribed this type of medication. Januvia has been linked to several notable and potentially dangerous side effects including:

• Hypoglycemia
• Kidney impairments
• Allergic reactions
• Acute pancreatitis
• Pancreatic cancer
• Joint pain
• Heart failure

The U.S Food and Drug Administration released a safety communication in March of 2013 warning consumers of the possibility of developing pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer while taking Januvia. Various other independent studies have also linked Januvia use with a higher propensity for developing pancreatic cancer.

Drug Manufacturer Liability in West Palm Beach

The law imposes a duty on companies and individuals who manufacture a product or medication to ensure their product is safe for use. Januvia lawsuits are often premised under a theory that Januvia’s manufacturer produced a product with a design defect and failed to warn the public of this defect, which then resulted in an individual sustaining an injury.

Under a manufacturing defect theory of liability, a product may be considered defective if it is unreasonably dangerous to a person and the product reaches the user or consumer without substantial change affecting that condition.

Under a failure to warn theory of liability, “a product is defective when the foreseeable risks of harm from the product could have been reduced or avoided by providing reasonable instructions or warnings, and the failure to provide those instructions or warnings makes the product unreasonably dangerous.”

Speak with a West Palm Beach Januvia Attorney

Although Januvia was designed to treat type-2 diabetes, studies have shown that it causes several other adverse side effects. When that happens, the product manufacturer may be liable for any resulting damages. If you or a loved one has taken Januvia and have subsequently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer or another adverse side effect, contact a West Palm Beach Januvia lawyer right away.