The FDA is working with pharmaceutical company Eli Lily to update label information on a common drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. The drug, called Byetta, is an injectable medicine that helps to control blood sugar levels. However, over a three-year period, the FDA received 78 reports of kidney problems, including kidney failure, among patients taking Byetta. Thus, new Byetta drug information will carry the warning that the medication may contribute to kidney malfunction. Signs of kidney problems can include change in the frequency of urination, urine color and amount of urine produced. Also, hand and feet swelling, low back aches, fatigue and changes in appetite can also be signs of kidney damage. Patients taking Byetta should notify their physicians if they experience any of these symptoms because kidney failure can cause serious problems due to the build up of metabolic waste products in the body. [HealthDay via Businessweek]
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Byetta Warning
In August 2008, the FDA announced that pancreatitis-related injuries and deaths continue to rise as a result of Byetta (http://www.fda.gov/Cder/drug/InfoSheets/HCP/exenatide2008HCP.htm). The first FDA advisory related to Byetta was issued in September 2007. The warning followed an announcement in October 2007 alerting patients and doctors to approximately 30 reports of patients suffering severe Byetta side effects such as pancreatitis. The FDA has received information on an additional six adverse reactions since the October 2007 announcement. Of those six patients, two died.