Victoza (liraglutide)
The FDA included Victoza in a warning issued in 2013 about a class of drugs called incretin mimetics, which puts patients at a higher risk for pancreatitis and pre-cancerous cellular changes.
The FDA warned doctors when it approved Victoza in 2010 that patients should be closely monitored for symptoms of pancreatitis. Victoza is used to help Type 2 diabetes patients better regulate blood sugar levels. The FDA said at the time that the benefits of helping some patients outweighed the risks, while still advising doctors to closely monitor patients using Victoza.
Victoza is prescribed in combination with other drugs, healthier diet, and increased physical activity.
That warning was strengthened in 2013 when the FDA advised healthcare practitioners to monitor patients using any of the drugs classed as incretin mimetics, which the FDA is investigating as a possible risk factor for increased risk of pancreatitis.
Other drugs in the incretin mimetic class include Byetta (exenatide) and Januvia (sitagliptin). Incretin mimetics imitate hormones normally produced by the body to maintain even blood sugar control.