Diabetes Drug Necrotizing Fasciitis Infections

Risk of Genital Infection from Diabetes Drugs

Certain diabetes drugs have been found to increase the risk of a rare, flesh-eating genital infection known as Fournier’s gangrene or necrotizing fasciitis. Infected tissues are destroyed, causing irreversible disfigurement. This rare and serious genital infection occurs far more often in patients taking certain glucose-lowering drugs than in the general public and requires rapid medical treatment and surgery. In 2018, an FDA diabetes drug infection warning was issued for thirteen pharmaceutical drugs known as SGLT2 inhibitors. A new drug warning label cautions that necrotizing fasciitis may result in permanent disfigurement, life-threatening side effects, or death.

Among diabetes drugs in the SGLT2 inhibitor class, all but one has been linked to a risk for the severe genital infection. The thirteen diabetes drugs are all FDA-approved and sold by major pharmaceutical companies including Janssen / Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Merck, and Eli Lilly. During 2017, American patients filled 1.7 million prescriptions, putting them at risk for diabetes drug infections. Drug makers argue the benefits outweigh the risks posed by diabetes drug genital infections; critics counter that other prescription drugs effectively regulate blood glucose levels without the risk of severe side effects. Bloomberg estimates the market for this type of diabetes drug will reach $7 billion by 2020, and the four companies are in aggressive competition for market shares.

Drug company executives are coming under scrutiny for their roles: How long has the risk of flesh-eating genital infections been known? Have drug companies done everything in their power to warn the public? Persons and the families of persons having suffered from necrotizing fasciitis from diabetes drugs are filing diabetes drug infection lawsuits against Janssen / J&J, Merck, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly / Boehringer Ingleheim, seeking compensation for the harm, pain, and loss sustained as a result of diabetes drug genital infections. This page contains comprehensive information from attorneys handling diabetes drug infection lawsuits for Fournier’s gangrene or necrotizing fasciitis for persons and families from around the United States.

Diabetes Drug Infections

A class of diabetes drug known as SGLT2 inhibitors, which are used to control blood glucose levels in patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes, have been linked to a severe type of bacterial genital infection. Known as Fournier’s gangrene or necrotizing fasciitis, this is a flesh-eating disease that infects the tissues in and surrounding the genital region. Tissues including muscles, nerves, fat and blood vessels in the perineal region may become infected; infected tissues are destroyed, and the condition can also cause life-threatening side effects such as diabetic ketoacidosis, septic shock, and acute kidney injury.

Necrotizing Fasciitis from Diabetes Drugs

Necrotizing fasciitis occurs when bacteria enter the body through a break or cut in the skin. Once inside, the bacteria spread extremely quickly, destroying any tissue it infects. Symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis include redness, tenderness, and swelling of the genitals or perineal area, a general feeling of unwellness, and a fever of 100.4 or greater. Treatment involves rapid delivery of broad-spectrum antibiotics and debridement surgery to remove damaged tissue. Many persons suffering from diabetes drug infections are left permanently disfigured.

FDA Diabetes Drug Infection Warning

The FDA Diabetes Drug Infection Warning was issued in 2018 after FDA officials identified a trend among adverse event reports: patients taking certain diabetes drug were falling ill with Fournier's gangrene at a much higher rate than other patients. The FDA identified 12 cases of Fournier's gangrene linked to diabetes drugs in the past five years but found only 6 other cases of the condition in the past 30 years. The FDA Diabetes Drug Infection Warning required the manufacturers of the following products to add a warning to the drugs' labels:

• Invokana
• Invokamet
• Invokamet XR
• Farxiga
• Xigduo XR
• Qtern
• Jardiance
• Glyxambi
• Synjardy
• Synjardy XR
• Steglatro
• Segluromet
• Stelujan

Diabetes itself is a risk factor for the severe genital infection known as Fournier's gangrene, but FDA data shows persons taking certain diabetes drugs face a much higher risk than those taking other diabetes medications. Other blood-glucose regulating drugs are available that do not cause genital infections.

Let Our Diabetes Drug Infection Attorneys Help You

Our attorneys are backed by a long track record of success in holding pharmaceutical multinationals accountable when they've placed profits ahead of safety. Through settlements and winning verdicts, our attorneys have obtained millions for our clients. Let us help you today.

Diabetes Drug Genital Infection Lawsuits

Filing a lawsuit can bring you the compensation you deserve for medical expenses, suffering and harm, while simultaneously bring a manufacturer to justice for corporate negligence. Contact us today for a free consultation.

National* Law Firm Represents Persons and Families Harmed by Diabetes Drug Infections

The national* diabetes drug infection attorneys at Onder Law have a long track record of success in the arena of consumer law related to dangerous drugs and medical devices. When American families are harmed by corporate greed or negligence, we see it as our duty to pursue justice, no matter how complex the case. Our diabetes drug infection lawyers believe persons who developed the genital infection known as Fournier’s gangrene while taking diabetes drugs may be eligible for real compensation by filing a claim.

Our experienced diabetes drug infection lawyers have represented countless American families in consumer safety litigation and have seen the aftereffects of numerous medical device and drug recalls. Aware of the very serious nature of diabetes drug infection lawsuits, this national* drug litigation law firm is offering its significant resources to provide clients with the best diabetes drug lawyer representation possible. Our diabetes drug attorneys will provide a free case review to persons and family members of persons who have developed genital infections while taking diabetes drugs. Taking the drugs by doctor’s orders and with no warning of the risks, these individuals have suffered through no fault of their own. Our goal is to secure the compensation these families need and deserve, while simultaneously holding drug manufacturers accountable for product safety.

No Fees Unless We Collect for You - Our Diabetes Drug Infection Attorneys Represent Clients on a Contingency Basis

We will represent all persons involved in a diabetes drug infection lawsuit on a contingency basis, meaning there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. For a free no-obligation consultation please contact our firm; one of our national* diabetes drug genital infection attorneys will contact you to answer any of your questions.

The Onder Law Firm

The Onder Law Firm is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The firm has represented thousands of persons in these and other products liability litigation, including DePuy hip replacement systems, which settled for $2.5 billion and Pradaxa internal bleeding, which settled for $650 million. The Onder Law Firm won over $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis to date and other law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.