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University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers have found that the use of the diabetes medications Byetta® and Januvia® may increase the risk of serious problems with the pancreas. Januvia® and Byetta® are both used to treat type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body doesn't use insulin properly.

The study, which was published in the medical journal Gastroenterology, suggests that the drugs might increase the chances of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

The study was based on adverse event reports submitted to the FDA over a five-year period. According to the results, pancreatic cancer occurred nearly three-times more often and pancreatitis occurred six-times more often in Byetta® and Januvia® patients.

The UCLA study is not the first to report a connection between these medications and possible damage to the pancreas. In fact, the FDA issued a safety alert back in 2007 to notify health care providers and consumers about a possible risk of acute pancreatitis in Byetta® users. The FDA issued another alert in 2008, warning the public about a possible increase in the risk of hemorrhagic and necrotizing pancreatitis.

The FDA issued a safety alert about Januvia®, a newer diabetes drug, in 2009. The agency recommended that patients being treated with Januvia® should be monitored for signs and symptoms of pancreatitis.

Byetta®, which is sold generically as exenatide, works by stimulating the pancreas to secrete insulin. Januvia®, sold generically as sitagliptin, works by increasing the amounts of certain natural substances that lower blood sugar when the blood sugar is high. Sitagliptin is also sold under the brand name Janumet® when it is combined with Metformin, another glucose regulating diabetes medication.

For more information, please contact a Byetta attorney today.