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Byetta® and Necrotizing Pancreatitis

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Necrotizing pancreatitis is a form of pancreatitis in which the inflammation caused by pancreas-attacking enzymes results in necrosis, or the death of tissue (in this case, pancreas tissue). Someone who has necrotizing pancreatitis is critically ill. Diabetics who are using the new treatment Byetta®, a twice-daily injection of exenatide, may be at a greater risk of developing necrotizing pancreatitis. 

Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis (ANP)

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) is the most severe form of pancreatitis, and it's been estimated that ANP occurs in about 20 percent of all episodes of pancreatitis. In addition to being life-threatening on its own, necrotizing pancreatitis is often accompanied by severe and possibly fatal complications such as: 

• Shock
• Hemorrhaging — uncontrolled bleeding
• ARDS — acute respiratory distress syndrome
• SIRS — systemic inflammatory response syndrome, an inflammatory state of the entire body
• Hypocalcemia — an abnormally low level of calcium in the blood
• Multi-organ failure — e.g., kidney, heart failure
• Pancreatic abscess — an infection characterized by pus in or near the pancreas 

Treatment of Necrotizing Pancreatitis

The tissue destruction of necrotizing pancreatitis must be identified and treated. An older treatment was debridement (removal) of dead pancreatic tissue by surgery; today, intensive non-surgical medical management of necrotizing pancreatitis is preferred. However, surgery may be unavoidable for some patients. 

The other treatments for ANP are mostly supportive: 

• Pain control
• Transfusions of blood if necessary
• Plenty of fluids to help the body function, mechanical ventilation if needed, etc.  

A patient with necrotizing pancreatitis will most likely experience a long hospital stay, especially if there are any complications. 

Necrotizing Pancreatitis and Byetta®

Byetta®, a pen-like medical device that delivers a subcutaneous dose of a drug to control glucose (blood sugar) levels, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in 2005. Since then, a potential link between Byetta® drug use and pancreatitis has been revealed, and the FDA has required Byetta® injury and pancreatitis-risk warnings on the packaging and prescribing information for Byetta®. 

If You Have Been Injured by Byetta®

Have you or a loved one been injured after taking Byetta®? If so, contact us to speak with an experienced Byetta® attorney who specializes in drug recall litigation & lawsuits. Let us help you win the compensation you need and deserve.