Victoza Kidney Failure Lawsuit

Victoza (liraglutide) is a popular once-daily injectable medication that is used along with diet and exercise to help adults with Type-2 diabetes control their blood sugar. People with Type-2 Diabetes have chronic insulin resistance, and Victoza stimulates the pancreas to produce extra insulin. Unfortunately, in some patients, Victoza has caused severe side effects — including kidney damage and kidney failure. One consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen, is now calling for Victoza to be banned immediately in the United States because the risks of the medication outweigh its benefits. These risks include acute pancreatitis, thyroid cancer, severe allergic reaction, kidney failure, and more.

What You Can Do & How a Victoza Kidney Failure Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Victoza induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has suffered from Victoza kidney failure, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Victoza Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Victoza Overview

Victoza (liraglutide) is an injectable medication that is used by adults with Type-2 Diabetes to help control their blood sugar (glucose) level. Victoza mimics a hormone in the body called GLP-1, which tells the pancreas to produce extra insulin. Victoza is sold by Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company, and it was approved in 2010 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA approved Victoza against the recommendation of three drug-safety experts employed by the FDA (two reviewing pharmacologists and one clinical safety reviewer). The safety reviewer, Dr. Karen Mahoney, wrote in her statement:

“The clinical safety reviewer does not recommend approval of liraglutide at this time … In the United States, there are already 11 classes of drugs approved for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes … The need for new therapies for Type-2 diabetes is not so urgent that one must tolerate a significant degree of uncertainty regarding serious risk concerns.”

The “significant degree of uncertainty” regards the risk of severe Victoza side effects. Early studies have shown Victoza linked to a 3.7-fold increased risk of acute pancreatitis, 3-fold increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer, and 2.4-fold increased risk of thyroid C-cell proliferation. These risks were compared to other diabetes drugs that are already approved by the FDA.

Victoza and Kidney Failure

Kidney failure (or “renal failure”) is a serious medical condition that occurs when the kidneys are unable to filter toxins, excess fluids, salts, and waste materials from the bloodstream. When kidney failure occurs, dangerously high levels of these substances accumulate in the bloodstream within several hours or days.

The safety label on Victoza warns:

“Victoza® may cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea leading to dehydration, which may cause kidney failure. This can happen in people who have never had kidney problems before.”

After Victoza was approved, the FDA also received a significant number of reports of people who had suffered from kidney failure (also known as renal failure). This prompted the FDA to require Novo Nordisk to update the label on Victoza to warn about “acute renal failure and worsening of chronic renal failure.”

Advocacy Group Calls for Victoza to be Banned Immediately

April 19, 2012: The consumer advocacy watchdog group Public Citizen has just petitioned the FDA to immediately ban Victoza from the U.S. marketplace, because the risks of the medication outweigh its benefits, especially when compared to the other 11 classes of diabetes drugs already on the market.

Unlike these other drugs, Victoza is the only FDA-approved drug that causes malignant thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents who were given normal doses of the drug comparable to what a human would take. It is unknown whether Victoza causes thyroid cancer in humans, but the rodent studies are a strong warning sign.

Victoza has also been linked to a risk of acute renal failure and worsening of chronic renal failure. If you were unaware of the risk of Victoza kidney failure when you took this medication, you are not alone. Since this drug was approved, more and more people have reported severe side effects, and the list of side effects has also grown.

Victoza is a relatively new drug with a short safety history. It can take several years for some side effects to develop (including Victoza kidney failure). We will not have a clear understanding of the risks until more people take Victoza, develop side effects, report their side effects, and have researchers compile this data and notify health agencies.

Signs & Symptoms of Kidney Failure

The symptoms of Victoza kidney failure may appear suddenly, or they may develop slowly over time. Sometimes, kidney failure has no symptoms, and it is only diagnosed with blood tests or or other exams. If there are symptoms, they usually include:

• Decreased urine output
• Fluid retention (swelling in the legs, ankles, feet)
• Drowsiness
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Nausea
• Seizures
• Changes in consciousness (fainting, dizziness, going comatose)
• Chest pain, pressure, or discomfort

Do I have a Victoza Kidney Failure Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Victoza induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Victoza kidney failure, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Victoza Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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