Byetta Diabetes Drug Information
February 11, 2009 by Jay Genkins
Filed under Defective Drugs, FDA, HEALTH
Byetta is a drug used for Diabetes treatment .
In an August 2008 Byetta warning, the FDA said it would to strengthen warnings about life-threatening pancreas problems linked to the type 2 diabetes drug Byetta after getting two reports of deaths and four other hospitalizations in Byetta users.
Those patients had hemorrhagic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas with bleeding) or necrotizing pancreatitis (in which the inflamed pancreas destroys itself).
All six patients were hospitalized, and their Byetta treatment was stopped. The four survivors were still recovering at the time that the FDA learned of their illness.
Byetta and other potentially suspect drugs should be promptly discontinued if pancreatitis is suspected and not restarted if pancreatitis is confirmed, notes the FDA. Byetta, given by injection, was approved by the FDA in 2005.
BYETTA® (exenatide) is a synthetic peptide that has incretin-mimetic actions and was originally identified in the lizard Heloderma suspectum. BYETTA enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta-cell, suppresses inappropriately elevated glucagon secretion, and slows gastric emptying.
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