The litigation regarding incretin mimetics, such as Byetta, Januvia/Janumet and Victoza, continues to grow across the country. Byetta (Exenatide), manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, in association with Eli Lilly and Co., entered the market in 2005 for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.  Byetta, now sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca, is a type of incretin mimetic that is administered as a subcutaneous injection of the abdomen, thigh or arm within 60 minutes of a person’s first and last meal of the day (i.e. two injections a day).

The incretin mimetic litigation is centralized in federal and state courts in California. This consolidation streamlines the pretrial discovery process, allowing the parties to avoid duplicative discovery and inconsistent rulings from different judges across the country. AstraZeneca disclosed in a second quarter financial report that it had resolved 84 Byetta lawsuits for an undisclosed amount of money. The parties continue to move forward in the litigation in hopes of reaching a global settlement. The next Case Management Conference is set for mid-September and will address various issues including the parties’ progress in discovery.

If you or a loved one have suffered from pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer after taking Januvia/Janumet, Byetta or Victoza, you can contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort/Pharmaceutical Litigation attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any potential claims.