Diabetes drug linked to pancreatitis

The diabetes drug sitagliptin has been linked to reported cases of acute pancreatitis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

In all, 88 cases of acute pancreatitis were reported to the FDA between October 2006 and February 2009, the FDA said in revising prescription information for sitagliptin, marketed under the names Januvia and Janumet.

Two of the cases involved hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis in patients using sitagliptin, the FDA said.

Sitagliptin has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis, so it is not known whether these patients are at an increased risk for developing pancreatitis, FDA officials said.

The use of sitagliptin should be carefully monitored, especially after initiation of the drug, dose increases and in those patients with a history of pancreatitis, the FDA told healthcare providers.