FDA Updates Pancreatitis Warning on Diabetes Drug

The FDA is alerting physicians to six reports of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis in patients using the diabetes drug exenatide (Byetta). Two of those patients died.

In October 2007, the agency first warned physicians of a possible link between exenatide and acute pancreatitis, but there were no reports of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis at that time.

The FDA says patients should not be given exenatide if pancreatitis is suspected. In addition, the drug should not be restarted after treatment for confirmed pancreatitis.