Another hazardous med for type 2 diabetes given green light by FDA

I think it’s about time the FDA got a name change.

How about the Food and Diabetes Administration?

Because it looks like approving risky “new” diabetes drugs has become the main act in its three-ring circus. One that’s making life more confusing and dangerous for those with type 2 diabetes than ever before.

The FDA is rubber stamping new diabetes drugs at a record pace – and Big Pharma has gotten the message loud and clear. Because the drug companies are now hatching a plan to combine some of their most dangerous diabetes drugs… medications that have been linked to heart disease and even cancer… into new, dangerous formulations they can use to make billions.

And the latest one to hit the pharmacy shelf might just be the worst one of all.

What’s old is new again

It’s all about the money.

Drugmakers Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim don’t make any bones about why their new prize, Glyxambi, is so important to them.

Diabetes rates are skyrocketing and competition among drug companies is fierce. The more diabetes drugs a company has on the market, the greater chance they have of making that cash register ring.

But when it comes to Glyxambi, the only sound you should hear is a very loud alarm going off — one that says “danger.”

Because Glyxambi, which was recently approved by the FDA, isn’t the brand-spanking-new breakthrough the drug companies would have you believe. It’s actually made from two risky drugs that we know a lot about already.

And none of it is good.

The first half of this horror was approved last summer under the brand name Jardiance.

It’s known as a SGLT2 inhibitor, which mean it forces your kidneys to excrete glucose in your urine.

Now peeing your diabetes away sounds like a good idea – until you realize that Jardiance can trigger a deadly drop in blood pressure that can cause everything from dizziness to dangerous falls. If you already have low blood pressure, you’re not supposed to touch Jardiance with a 10-foot pole.

And you may want to get an even longer pole to be safe.

SGLT2 inhibitors like Jardiance have also been linked to what experts call “a cascade of adverse events,” including urinary tract infections and serious kidney and heart problems.

And here’s the worst part – Jardiance isn’t even the most dangerous drug you’ll find in Glyxambi. Believe it or not, I’ve been giving you the good news first.

The second half of this two-drug cocktail is called Tradjenta, which mimics a natural hormone in your body called GLP-1 that controls blood sugar.

It also sends your risk of pancreatic and thyroid cancer through the roof.

The Institute for Safe Medicine Practices found that compared to older type 2 treatments, such as metformin, your risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer is 25 times higher on these GLP-1 meds like Tradjenta.

And it doesn’t look like these problems have been ironed out in the Glyxambi formulation. The warning label on Glyxambi says it increases your risk of “pancreatitis which may be severe and lead to death.”

Pancreatitis, a severe swelling of your pancreas, is also a major risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

So if your doctor mentions some new way to treat your type 2 diabetes, remember, Glyxambi is nothing more than Big Pharma’s way of pulling that old department-store trick.

You know, the twofer sale. But in this case you’ll be getting a cocktail of two, already known, very dangerous diabetes drugs in one.

The only things that’s “new” about Glyxambi is its name. That, and the double dose of danger you get from it.

Source:

“US launch for BI/Lilly diabetes combo Glyxambi” Selina McKee, March 23, 2015, PharmaTimes, pharmatimes.com