Copenhagen:  The world’s biggest maker of insulin, Denmark’s Novo Nordisk says that no increased risk of acute pancreatitis so far has been seen in the studies of Phase III drug candidate liraglutide

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned doctors and patients that Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc’s and Eli Lilly and Co’s diabetes drug Byetta may be linked to acute pancreatitis in some patients.

Mads Krogsgaard, Novo Chief Science Officer said that tests on more than 3,000 patients had shown no signs of acute pancreatitis over the placebo.

Krogsgaard said, “Type 2 (diabetes) and obese people have a higher risk of getting pancreatitis from the outset. So in relation to the placebo group we have not seen signs that liraglutide causes pancreatitis.”

Liraglutide and Byetta are both from a new class of medications to treat Type 2 (diabetes).

Krogsgaard said that it was still too early to say if the increased risk of pancreatitis was specific to Byetta or if the entire class of drugs would have the same side effects.