Lawsuits claim that Saxenda can slow down the movement of food out of the stomach, which may cause stomach paralysis, gastroparesis, severe nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Saxenda induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with stomach paralysis after taking Saxenda, 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.
Stomach Paralysis Lawsuits Claim Drug-Makers Failed to Warn Patients
Lawsuits have been filed by people who developed stomach paralysis after using medications for diabetes or weight-loss. These lawsuits accuse drug-makers of failing to warn patients about the risk of severe gastrointestinal side effects from Saxenda and similar medications.
What is Saxenda?
Saxenda® (liraglutide) is a prescription medication for the treatment of type-2 diabetes and weight-loss. Saxenda comes in a pre-filled 3-mg injection pen that is administered once-daily by patients under the skin in the stomach, leg, or arm.
Saxenda is also approved for chronic weight management in certain adults and children ages 12-17 years old with excess weight or obesity, to help them lose weight and keep the weight off.
Saxenda was developed by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. It was approved in the U.S. in December 2014.
How Does Saxenda Work?
The active ingredient in Saxenda is liraglutide, which belongs to a new class of diabetes drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. This is the same active ingredient as another diabetes drug called Victoza.
These drugs work by mimicking the action of a natural human hormone called GLP-1. This has several effects in the brain and digestive system to control diabetes and help people lose weight.
When injected, Saxenda works in the digestive system to slow down digestion and stimulate the production of insulin, which helps control blood-sugar levels. Saxenda also works in the brain to make patients feel full longer and eat less food, which helps with weight-loss.
Saxenda and Delayed Gastric Emptying
The Saxenda Prescribing Information warns: “SAXENDA® causes a delay of gastric emptying, and thereby has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications.”
The label also includes a specific warning about stomach paralysis: “8.8 Gastroparesis: SAXENDA® slows gastric emptying. SAXENDA® has not been studied in patients with pre-existing gastroparesis.”
What is Stomach Paralysis?
Stomach paralysis occurs when food moves too slowly or stops moving from the stomach into the intestines. It is also called “delayed gastric emptying,” or “gastroparesis.”
Normally, muscles in the stomach use regular contractions to move food along the digestive system. Stomach paralysis occurs when these nerves are damaged and become too weak to effectively move food into the intestines.
Signs & Symptoms of Stomach Paralysis
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Throwing up undigested food that was eaten hours earlier
- Feeling full quickly after eating food
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach pain or swelling
- Belching
- Heartburn or acid reflux disease
- Weight-loss
- Malnutrition
- Formation of bezoars (hard masses of undigested food)
- Stomach blockage
- Intestinal obstruction
Stomach Paralysis and Type-2 Diabetes
Stomach paralysis is most commonly caused by type-2 diabetes, after long-term problems with uncontrolled high blood-sugar levels cause permanent damage to the nerves that control muscles in the stomach.
However, many diabetics do not realize that they have stomach paralysis because it does not always cause symptoms. They may not develop symptoms of stomach paralysis until they start taking a medication like Saxenda, which causes the condition to worsen.
What Should I Do?
You may be able to file a lawsuit if you took Saxenda and were diagnosed with stomach paralysis (gastroparesis) or symptoms of severe gastrointestinal problems due to delayed gastric emptying.
These symptoms may include extreme vomiting, nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, full feeling, and acid reflux that required hospitalization due to the severity of symptoms.
Have Lawsuits Been Filed Yet?
Yes. Lawsuits are being filed against several drug-makers by people who developed stomach paralysis on diabetes drugs. These lawsuits claim that drug-makers did not adequately warn patients about the risk of being hospitalized for stomach paralysis.
Do I have a Saxenda Stomach Paralysis Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Saxenda induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with stomach paralysis after taking Saxenda, 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.
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