Here's a recent study's news, with a quick reply from a doctor group, below the post:
People who take a certain type of diabetes drug to lower blood sugar levels may be at an increased risk of developing an inflamed pancreas, according to a new study.
Glucagonlike peptide 1(GLP-1) therapies that include exenatide - marketed as Byetta by an alliance between Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca - and sitagliptin - marketed as Januvia by Merck - have been linked to pancreatitis before in studies on animals and small groups of patients, said the study's lead author.
"New therapies and risks are only evaluated when studies are done. We need to know (the drugs) are effective in lowering blood sugar, but we also need to know about risks," said Dr. Sonal Singh, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Pancreatitis, which can cause life-threatening complications, is rare but more common in people with type 2 diabetes. Singh said pancreatitis occurs in about three of every 1,000 diabetes patients.
http://news.yahoo.com/diabetes-drugs-tied-pancreatitis-study-210504575.html
ADA response:
The American Association of Endocrinologists (AACE) and the American Diabetes Association believe that the study by Singh et al, Glucagon-like Peptide 1-Based Therapies and Risk of Hospitalization for Acute Pancreatitis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, published online February 25th in JAMA Internal Medicine does not provide the basis for changing treatment in people with diabetes. Fortunately, there will be new data available relatively soon which will allow physicians to definitively assess risks and benefits of this class of medicines.
Read the rest here: http://www.diabetes.org/for-media/2013/2013-aace-ada-jama-article.html
