Recent reports in the JAMA Internal Medicine indicate that patients taking Januvia are at a higher risk of developing pancreatitis when compared with those taking other Type 2 diabetic drugs which do not contain sitaglipin. The JAMA journal found that those suffering from pancreatitis who were hospitalized were twice as likely to have been taking Januvia.  Januvia is an oral anti-hyperglycemic belonging to a class of drugs known as incretin mimetics which stimulate the production of insulin. 

A relatively new class of drugs known as sitagliptin includes the brand name Januvia and is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Januvia—along with others in the same class—has been shown in some studies to bring significant risks to patients taking the drug. Januvia blocks or inhibits DPP-4 in the body, allowing the patient’s system to better control glucose levels as well as increasing the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas when the blood sugar is high. These DPP-4 blockers can also reduce the amount of sugar produced by the liver when the body does not need the excess. 

As more time passes, it appears more people are coming forward to say they have been harmed by a drug they believed to be safe—in this case, Januvia.  Januvia, manufactured by Merck & Co., is a drug used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Januvia controls blood sugar when the body is unable to do so and is meant to be used in conjunction with diet and exercise. Sitagliptin, the active ingredient in Januvia, works by inhibiting an enzyme known as DPP-4 which breaks down the hormones sending signals to the pancreas to produce more insulin. After FDA approval in 2006, scores of adverse reports were submitted to the FDA by Januvia users and recent studies show a definite link between Januvia and pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer. 

Januvia is a drug manufactured by Merck & Co. to treat Type 2 diabetes, gaining FDA approval in 2006. Januvia contains sitagliptin which inhibits the DPP-4 enzymes in the body, destroying glucagon-like peptide-1 which reduces blood glucose levels. Following a meal, incretin hormones are released from the intestine; these hormone levels are then increased in the bloodstream in patients taking Januvia. When the active ingredient found in Januvia blocks DPP-4, the body can better handle glucose levels, increasing the amount of insulin the pancreas produces when excessive blood sugar demand such an increase. During times when the body does not need the excess liver sugars, the DPP-4 will also lower those sugars. When combined with diet and exercise Januvia can significantly improve blood glucose levels in those with Type 2 diabetes. 

Although diabetics do have a greater overall risk of developing pancreatitis, the latest studies seem to support the fact that the DPP-4 Inhibitor Januvia, a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, may significantly increase the risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer among users. The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach with a function of secreting digestive enzymes into the intestine to aid digestion. The pancreas also releases insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream with a goal of regulating the metabolism of blood glucose.