Victoza, known by its generic equivalent liraglutide, is an injectable drug prescribed for the treatment of high blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes, health experts say. A product by Denmark-based pharmaceutical organization Novo Nordisk, it is usually concurrently with other anti-diabetes drugs including thiazolidinediones, sulfonylureas, and metformin.
Novo Nordisk has reportedly acquired approval for Victoza to be distributed in the American consumer market in early 2010. But, before the drug gained FDA approval, it was subjected to mounting inquiries concerning some safety issues as studies suggesting a link between Victoza and thyroid cancer emerged.
In a press release declaring the agency’s approval of Victoza for type 2 diabetes, the FDA announced that Victoza reportedly caused laboratory rodent models to develop tumors of the thyroid gland.
However, experts has yet to prove whether the drug may also cause the same detrimental effect in humans. Nevertheless, Victoza received a black box label from the FDA — the sternest alert a medication may carry, highlighting that the medication should not be administered as first-line treatment for diabetes, and should not be prescribed to people made susceptible to medullary thyroid cancer, such as those with a rare genetic condition known as Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 and a family history of medullary thyroid cancer.
Certain side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, headache, and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) have also been linked to Victoza and other diabetes medications such as Byetta.
On March 2013, an early communication has been released by the FDA informing patients and medical professionals that the agency is investigating unpublished scientific reports that link Victoza and other newer forms of anti-diabetes medications to pancreatitis and pre-cancerous cellular changes called ”pancreatic duct metaplasia”. While the federal agency has yet to reach a conclusion, it may not be too early for patients who may have experienced these alleged adverse effects to embark on a legal course through a Victoza lawsuit, according to legal experts.
Sources:
drugs.com/victoza.html
virginiamason.org/PancreaticNecrosis
accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/022341lbl.pdf
bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-22/diabetes-drugs-may-cause-damage-to-pancreas-study-finds.html
fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2010/ucm198638.htm
cardiobrief.org/2010/01/25/fda-approves-liraglutide-victoza-for-type-2-diabetes/
fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm343805.htm
novonordisk.com/include/asp/exe_news_attachment.asp?sAttachmentGUID=b9a7556c-a322-4b44-92c3-a800ddf7aee9
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