Pancreatitis Doubles for Those Taking New Class of Diabetes Drugs, Scientists Say

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130221141104.htm

sciencedaily.com | Feb 21st 2013

People who take the newest class of diabetes drugs to control blood sugar are twice as likely as those on other forms of sugar-control medication to be hospitalized with pancreatitis, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

In an article published online in JAMA Internal Medicine, the scientists say the new drugs -- glucagon-like peptide-1-based therapies (GLP-1) -- are associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for acute pancreatitis. The agents sitagliptin and exenatide -- generic names for the drugs sold under the brand names Januvia and Byetta -- appear to contribute to the formation of lesions in the pancreas and the proliferation of ducts in the organ, resulting in wellsprings of inflammation.

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