Diabetic Patients Taking SGLT2 Diabetic Drugs Could Be At Risk of Dying from COVID19

SGLT2 drugs have been linked to Fournier's Gangrene and may weaken the immune system making other diseases more fearsome

Monday, April 27, 2020 - Elderly nursing home patients are dying at a much higher rate than the overall population from complications caused by COVID19, and SGLT2 drugs that weaken the immune system may be amplifying the virus's lethality. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is analyzing nursing home death data as it comes in and so far has found that nearly one in three elderly nursing home patients that have died from COVID19 were diabetic patients taking an immunosuppressant drug. According to the CDC, "the most common (underlying condition requiring hospitalization from COVID19) were hypertension (49.7%), obesity (48.3%), chronic lung disease (34.6%), diabetes mellitus (28.3%), and cardiovascular disease (27.8%). These findings suggest that older adults have elevated rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalization and the majority of persons hospitalized with COVID-19 have underlying medical conditions." In 2017, the FDA suspected that "an estimated 1.7 million patients received a dispensed prescription for an SGLT2 inhibitor from U.S. outpatient retail pharmacies. In addition to worsening COVID19, SGLT2 drugs have been linked to contributing to other life-threatening diseases in elderly diabetic patients like Fournier's Gangrene. Diabetes drug infection lawsuits are handled by top national attorneys with a winning track record litigating against big corporations and pharmaceutical companies and offer a free consultation with no obligation to file a claim.

The US Food and Drug Administration has determined that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor drugs are linked to over 55 cases of Fournier's Gangrene, a rare form of the flesh-eating disease that affects the genitals. Fournier's Gangrene causes the blood flow to the genitals to become constricted or stop altogether causing the anus, perineum, scrotum, and penis to blacken and rot similar to the symptoms of frostbite and may require genital amputation of mutilation to slow the disease's spread. SGLT2 drugs are also powerful immunosuppressants that weaken the ability to fight off bacterial diseases such as the Streptacaucus bacteria thought to be responsible for all sorts of necrotizing conditions.

The FDA requires drug companies that manufacture these diabetes drugs to place a warning on their product's instruction alerting patients of the risk of Fournier's Gangrene. While Fournier's Gangrene is believed to be rare, the number of cases may be exponentially greater as so few doctors know about the condition that can be mistaken for sepsis or other more common infections. SGLT2 drugs are taken by diabetic patients that do not wish to inject themselves with insulin daily but instead would rather take a pill that redirects excess sugar out of the bloodstream via the urine. The FDA classifies SGLT2 drugs as "... a class of prescription medicines that are FDA-approved for use with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. Medicines in the SGLT2 inhibitor class include canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin."

If you or a loved one in a nursing home have suffered severe genital infections and are taking diabetes drugs, you may be entitled to lump-sum monetary compensation for your pain and suffering, as well as reimbursement for medical expenses. You may be entitled to file a claim against diabetes drug manufacturers. Popular brand-mand diabetes drugs that pose a risk for life-threatening genital infections include Invokana, Invokamet, Invokamet XR manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, Astra Zeneca, Farxiga, Xigduo XR, Qtern, Jardiance, Glyxambi, Steglatro, Segluromet, and Stelujan.

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Lawyers for Fournier's Gangrene

OnderLaw, LLC 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 Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.