Victoza: Defective Drug Lawyers
Victoza Lawsuit | Side Effects : Thyroid Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Renal Failure or Kidney Failure, Death
Victoza Lawsuit (liraglutide) | Lawsuits Lawyer, Attorney | Side Effects : Thyroid Cancer, Pancreatitis, Renal Failure, Kidney Failure, Death, Organ Failure, Permanent disability
The leading law firm of Alonso Krangle LLP is investigating potential lawsuit claims stemming from Victoza side effects. Victoza (liraglutide) is a once-daily, injectable diabetes drug used to help control blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Victoza has been linked a number of serious side effects that can lead to organ failure, permanent disability, and even death, including:
- Thyroid Cancer
- Renal (Kidney) Failure
- Pancreatic Cancer
Victoza Lawsuits
Alonso Krangle LLP is offering FREE Victoza lawsuit evaluations to victims of Victoza side effect injuries. If you or a loved one took Victoza and developed pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, or kidney failure, filing a Victoza lawsuit for Victoza side effects may allow you obtain compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages. While no amount of money can truly make up for the pain caused by Victoza side effect, compensation from a lawsuit can provide the funds you need to regain your health and rebuild your life. To learn more about the legal options available to you, please contact the Victoza lawyers at Alonso Krangle LLP today.
What is the type 2 diabetes medication Victoza?
Victoza is manufactured by Novo Nordisk and was approved by the FDA in January 2010. The active ingredient in Victoza, liraglutide, functions in the same manner as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which helps to promote glucose metabolization and insulin secretion in the pancreas. Victoza relieves insulin deficiencies in type 2 diabetes, while preventing sugar over-production. Since its 2010 approval, Victoza has become one of the most popular diabetes drugs on the market, racking up sales topped $670 million in 2011.
Victoza was controversial even before it was cleared by the FDA. In approving Victoza, the FDA ignored the recommendations of three of its drug safety reviewers. In clinical trials, pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, occurred more often with Victoza than with other diabetes drug. High doses of the drug also caused thyroid tumors in rats and mice, although the FDA said at the time that it was not known if Victoza would also cause thyroid cancer in people. The FDA’s clinical safety reviewer pointed out at the time that there were already 11 different drugs approved for type 2 diabetes, so there was less urgency to approve a new drug with uncertain safety.
Despite these concerns, a director inside the FDAs office of new drugs overruled some other FDA staff, including the clinical safety reviewer, in approving Victoza. However, the FDA did ask Novo Nordisk to conduct a five-year study to look at Victozas risk of pancreatitis, seriously low blood sugar levels, allergic reactions, and thyroid and other cancers.
FDA Victoza Thyroid Cancer Warning | Side Effects May Include Thyroid Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Renal Failure or Kidney Failure, Death
In June 2011, the FDA issued a warning that Victoza had been linked to thyroid cancer. According to its safety alert, the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System had received 25 claims of Victoza thyroid cancer from February 2010 to September 2011.
The thyroid is a gland at the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid produces hormones that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight. Symptoms that may indicate thyroid cancer include:
- A lump in the neck
- Trouble breathing
- Trouble swallowing
- Hoarseness
FDA Victoza Kidney Impairment Warning
In May 2011, a warning was added to the “Warning and Precautions” section of the Victoza label regarding the drug’s association with renal impairment. The warning states that renal impairment “has been reported postmarketing, usually in association with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or dehydration which may sometimes require hemodialysis.” The label advises doctors to “use caution when initiating or escalating doses of Victoza in patients with renal impairment.”
FDA Victoza Pancreatitis Warning
According to the same June 2011 FDA Safety Communication, there were also at least 200 cases of acute pancreatitis and 28 cases of pancreatic cancer reported during the same period. Acute pancreatitis can cause organ damage and even death. The FDA said patients who start Victoza, as well as those who have their dosage increased, should be observed carefully for signs and symptoms of pancreatitis including persistent severe abdominal pain, sometimes radiating to the back, and which may or may not be accompanied by vomiting.
2012 Victoza Recall Petition
In April 2012, the group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to order a Victoza recall, asserting the drugs risks outweigh any clinical benefits. According to the group, Victoza puts patients at risk of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, serious allergic reactions, and kidney failure.
More and more people are taking this drug, and more people are experiencing serious health problems as a result, Public Citizen director Sidney Wolfe, MD, said in a statement. Clearly, the FDAs warning system is not sufficient. The drug should be taken off the market.
Learn More About Filing Victoza Lawsuit Due To Victoza Side Effects
If you or someone you care about suffered a serious Victoza side effect, including kidney failure, pancreatic cancer, or thyroid cancer, you may be eligible to file a Victoza lawsuit against the maker of this type 2 diabetes medication. We can also help victims suffering serious side effects from Byetta and Januvia diabetic medications. Call us today!
To learn more about the legal options available to you, please contact the Victoza lawyers at Alonso Krangle LLP by filling out our online form or calling us.