Byetta Patients Must Be Aware of the Risks

Fort Worth, TXFor patients dealing with Type II diabetes, there may be a growing concern about what medications are safe to take. After all, drugs such as Byetta and Actos come with stern warning labels, while drugs like Avandia have been all but pulled from the market. And while debate swirled about the safety of Avandia two years ago, Byetta news took a back seat in the minds of many. But according to warning labels, the risk of Byetta side effects can be serious, and patients should still be careful.

Byetta has been linked to an increased risk of acute pancreatitis and kidney problems. Although some studies suggest that the risk associated with Byetta is no greater than with other drugs in the same class, there is still a risk to patients taking the medication and that risk could be life-threatening.

According to the warning label for Byetta (found online at www.fda.gov), "Serious side effects can happen in people who take BYETTA, including inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) which may be severe and lead to death." The risk of pancreatitis increases in patients who have certain conditions including gallstones, a history of alcoholism and high blood triglyceride levels.

In 2009, the Byetta warning label was updated to include information about the risk of kidney problems in patients who used the medication. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) news release (11/2/09), in a period of approximately three-and-a-half years, the FDA received 78 reports of kidney problems in patients using Byetta. Among the problems listed were kidney failure and kidney insufficiency. Of the 78 patients reported to the FDA, 18 required dialysis, two underwent kidney transplants and four died. Although some patients had kidney problems prior to starting Byetta, others did not.

"Kidney malfunction can result in a build-up of waste products in the blood, leading to serious illness or life-threatening conditions," the FDA news release stated.

Byetta, known generically as exenatide, was approved by the FDA to treat Type II diabetes in 2005. According to CNN (11/4/09), between 2005 and 2008, almost seven million Byetta prescriptions were written. Byetta is an injectible medication and is known as an incretin mimetic. Symptoms of serious Byetta side effects include severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.