Incretin-Based Diabetes Drugs Aren't Associated with Excess Risk for Acute Pancreatitis

Several years ago, the FDA alerted physicians to case reports of acute pancreatitis in patients treated with the incretin-based diabetes drugs exenatide (Byetta; a glucagon-like peptide-1 [GLP-1] receptor agonist) and sitagliptin (Januvia; a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 [DPP-4] inhibitor). In two recent studies, investigators determined whether incretin-based treatment raises risk for acute pancreatitis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

In a meta-analysis of 55 randomized trials in which GLP-1 receptor agonists, DDP-4 inhibitors, or both were assessed in 33,000 patients (mean age range, 50–67; follow-up range, 12–234 weeks), only 37 participants (0.1%) experienced acute pancreatitis, and incretin-based treatment was not associated with elevated ri…