Class of Diabetes Drugs Linked to Painful Blistering Skin Condition

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Jessica Paluch-Hoerman

Attorney Jessica Paluch-Hoerman, founder of TruLaw, has over 28 years of experience as a personal injury and mass tort attorney, and previously worked as an international tax attorney at Deloitte. Jessie collaborates with attorneys nationwide — enabling her to share reliable, up-to-date legal information with our readers.

This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy and clarity by the team of writers and legal experts at TruLaw and is as accurate as possible. This content should not be taken as legal advice from an attorney. If you would like to learn more about our owner and experienced injury lawyer, Jessie Paluch, you can do so here.

TruLaw does everything possible to make sure the information in this article is up to date and accurate. If you need specific legal advice about your case, contact us by using the chat on the bottom of this page. This article should not be taken as advice from an attorney.

Class of Diabetes Drugs Linked to Painful Blistering Skin Condition

A popular class of type 2 diabetes drugs referred to as Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-4) inhibitors may cause users to develop painful skin conditions and have been linked to painful skin injuries.

Table of Contents

DPP-4 Inhibitors

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-4) inhibitors are linked to painful skin injuries such as:

  • Bullous Pemphigoid
  • Erythema Multiforme
  • Drug Eruption
  • Toxic Skin Eruption
  • Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
  • Eczema
  • Oculomucocutaneous Syndrome

The FDA has  reports of the above skin diseases and additional skin symptoms that appear to be linked to DPP-4 inhibitors, but as of today, the FDA has only required a label change to include the risk of bullous pemphigoid.

FDA Warning

FDA Safety Labeling Change added a new warning for “Bullous Pemphigoid” which is a rare skin disorder that results in skin rashes and blistering on the legs, arms and abdomen.

Pemphigoid can also cause blistering on the mucous membranes.

Mucous membranes produce mucous that helps protect the inside of the body such as eyes, nose, mouth and genitals.

DDP-4 Medications

According to a December 2016 FDA, DPP-4 inhibitors used to treat diabetes mellitus type 2 were found to cause Bullous Pemphigoid in several individuals.

For this reason, the FDA sent out label change requirements to the manufacturers of these drugs.

According to the FDA, each of the reported injured individuals had very serious outcomes, half of them required hospitalization and one died.

DDP-4 Inhibitor Medications
Januvia Janumet Janumet XR
Onglyza Kombiglyze Tradjenta
Nesina Glyxambi Jentadueto
Kazano Oseni Sitagliptin / Metformin

Symptoms and Characteristics of a Pemphigoid Diagnosis

The symptoms and characteristics of a Pemphigoid diagnosis include, but are not limited to:

  • Blistering that occurs on the arms, legs, abdomen and mucous membranes
  • Red rash develops before the blisters
  • Blisters are large and filled with fluid that is usually clear, but may contain some blood
  • The blisters are thick and do not rupture easily
  • The skin around the blisters may appear normal or slightly red or dark
  • Ruptured blisters are usually sensitive and painful
  • Hives and itching

How do I know if My Blisters are Pemphigoid?

The diagnosis of Pemphigoid needs to be made by your doctor or dermatologist, and they may need to perform a biopsy, removing small samples of the skin from the affected area, in order to do so.

If patients see symptoms listed below, the FDA is directing them to discontinue the DPP-4 medication and go see a dermatologist for diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

If you are experiencing a skin irritation or complication, please consider reporting it to the FDA and let us know so that the public is made aware of the risks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Published By:
Picture of Jessica Paluch-Hoerman
Jessica Paluch-Hoerman

Managing Attorney & Owner

With over 25 years of legal experience, Jessica Paluch-Hoerman is an Illinois lawyer, a CPA, and a mother of three.  She spent the first decade of her career working as an international tax attorney at Deloitte.

In 2009, Jessie co-founded her own law firm with her husband – which has scaled to over 30 employees since its conception.

In 2016, Jessie founded TruLaw, which allows her to collaborate with attorneys and legal experts across the United States on a daily basis. This hypervaluable network of experts is what enables her to share the most reliable, accurate, and up-to-date legal information with our readers!

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