AstraZeneca diabetes drug concerns raised by FDA

AstraZeneca has been told by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it has concerns regarding the side effects of its diabetes drug Onglyza.

The FDA analysed findings from AstraZeneca's trials involving the drug, which is designed to treat patients with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease or heart problems.

However, it was found that individuals taking the drug had a 27 percent increased chance of being hospitalised due to heart failure, which could have potentially fatal consequences.

What's more, the FDA discovered that people's mortality risk increased following administration of Onglyza, leading to significant concerns surrounding the safety of the treatment.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium has already approved the use of the drug in Scotland, but doctors are being warned to take the potential side effects into account when administering it, while a label change for the treatment is in the pipeline.