Bullous Pemphigoid Lawsuit

Januvia and other diabetes drugs in the DPP-4 inhibitor class may cause bullous pemphigoid, a rare but extremely painful skin reaction with blisters and lesions.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

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

Diabetes Drugs Linked to Painful Blistering Skin Condition

A popular class of type-2 diabetes drugs known as Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors may cause devastating skin eruptions, the FDA warned in December 2016. Several people developed bullous pemphigoid, 50% of them were hospitalized and one person died. The manufacturers of all DPP-4 diabetes drugs updated warning labels.

List of DPP-4 Diabetes Drugs

Diabetes drugs in the DPP-4 inhibitor class include:

Studies Linking Diabetes Drugs and Bullous Pemphigoid

The first case reports linking DPP-4 inhibitors (gliptins) and bullous pemphigoid were published in 2011. Five more cases were reported in 2012 in patients who started a gliptin. In 2014, doctors published a case report of a 70 year-old man with diabetes who developed bullous pemphigoid after taking Januvia (50 mg/day) for 1 year.

Over the next two years, researchers in France investigated 42 cases of bullous pemphigoid in DPP-4 patients from 2008 to 2014. They estimated a 67-fold increased risk of bullous pemphigoid for the entire class of DPP-4 diabetes drugs. The study was published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2016.

In February 2016, two more cases of bullous pemphigoid with blisters and lesions were reported in patients who used Tradjenta (linagliptin) for 2-4 months. The study was published in JAMA Dermatology.

What is Bullous Pemphigoid?

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune disease that causes an extremely painful skin rash and large blisters on the legs, arms, and abdomen. Pemphigoid can also cause blistering on the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth, and genital areas.

What Causes Bullous Pemphigoid?

It is caused when the immune system accidentally produces antibodies that attack the fibers that connect the outer layer of skin (epidermis) to the lower layers (dermis). When the antibodies attack, the skin separates and causes a red rash, skin eruptions, and blisters.

Warning Signs of Bullous Pemphigoid

It can take anywhere from 2 to 13 months or more for symptoms of bullous pemphigoid to occur in patients on DPP-4 inhibitors. The first symptom is usually a red rash followed by blistering. The blisters are large, filled with clear fluid or blood. They do not rupture easily. The blisters that do rupture become very painful. The skin around the blister may be normal or slightly reddish. Pictures of Bullous Pemphigoid [GRAPHIC].

Symptoms of Bullous Pemphigoid

Red rash
Blisters on arms, legs, abdomen
Blisters on eyes, nose, mouth, genitals
Hives
Itching

Complications of Bullous Pemphigoid

Bullous pemphigoid blisters that pop or burst open can become infected. This can lead to sepsis or permanent scarring. Eye blisters can cause blindness. Mouth blisters can cause hoarseness, loss of voice, trouble swallowing, or require a tracheostomy.

How is Pemphigoid Diagnosed?

Bullous pemphigoid is diagnosed with blood tests and biopsies (tissue samples) from skin lesions. Pemphigoid may be misdiagnosed as other toxic skin eruptions, such as:

Pemphigus
Bullosis Diabeticorum
Diabetic Bullae
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS)
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN)
Erythema Multiforme
Eczema
And more

Treatment for Bullous Pemphigoid

Patients usually recover with topical or systemic immunosuppressive medications and discontinuation of the DPP-4 inhibitor. Patients must be very careful to prevent the blisters from bursting. Treatments may also involve taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory corticosteroids.

Do I have a Bullous Pemphigoid Lawsuit?

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