Higher risk of pancreatitis for those taking new class of diabetes drugs, Johns Hopkins study finds

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 on-line 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. GLP-1–based therapies, such as Merck & Co's Januvia (sitagliptin) and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Byetta (exenatide) appear to contribute to the formation of lesions in the pancreas and the proliferation of ducts in the organ, resulting in wellsprings of inflammation.

Other GLP-1–based therapies include Bristol-Myers Squibb's Onglyza (saxagliptin) and Novo Nordisk’s Victoza (liraglutide), but these drugs were not on the market during the study period and therefore were not assessed.