The popular type 2 diabetes drug Onglyza, also known as saxagliptina, has been linked with a significantly increased risk of heart failure.
And now, amid a growing number of lawsuits alleging patients suffered heart failure injuries without adequate warnings by the manufacturer, a federal panel has decided to centralize the cases to a special Onlglyza MDL court for quicker handling.
Onglyza Heart Failure Risks
Onglyza was first released as a joint-effort by drug makers Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca in 2009, the second-ever drug in the so-called DPP-4 class. These drugs promote the creation of certain hormones that inhibit the production of glucose and raise insulin levels.
Beginning in 2013, however, signs emerged that the drug may cause heart failure. That year, a study from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital showed those taking Onglyza had double the risk of heart failure.
The FDA issued a warning and ordered further investigation in 2014 based on the study. However, the maker of the drug did nothing to add new warnings for patients about heart failure risks until the FDA forced them to do so in 2016.
JPML Creates Onglyza Lawsuit MDL Court
Now, according to court records, at least 84 lawsuits have been filed in 30 different court districts around the country by patients who took Onglyza, alleging that the drug caused hospitalization or death from heart failure.
In October 2017, lawyers for many of these injured patients asked that the cases be centralized into one court for more efficient handling. Interestingly, the drug’s makers opposed the move, saying not enough cases existed or that the publicity would cause additional litigation.
After a hearing on January 25th, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued a transfer order moving all Onglyza lawsuits filed in federal courts to MDL 2807, In Re: Onglyza (Saxagliptin) and Kombiglyze XR (Saxagliptin and Metformin) Products Liability Litigation.
The new MDL court will be located in the Eastern District of Kentucky and be presided over by Chief U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell. According to the panel, the consolidation will eliminated duplicative trial preparation by the parties, prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings and conserve legal resources.
In addition, this should increase access to the courts for potentially hundreds of patients that have been affected by heart failure after taking Onglyza, but may not have known they have legal options.
Lawyers are still helping those injured fie lawsuits. To speak directly with a lawyer about your case at no cost, contact DrugNews today.
Sources:
Vance, et al. Transfer Order. JPML. (February 2, 2018). Retrieved from http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-2809-Initial_Transfer-01-18.pdf
Elmiron is a mild blood-thinner drug that has been around since 1996 and is prescribed to treat bladder pain or inflammation, a condition called interstitial cystitis.
Since many of the companies that sold asbestos or used it in their products have long since gone out of business, people who are diagnosed with asbestos-related cancers often think it’s too late to file a lawsuit.
Call, email or live chat with us today to see how we can help.
