This grade answers one narrow question: how strong is the public evidence and safety record behind this drug, and how clean is its money trail and court record? It is not a verdict on whether the drug is right for you.
Gliptins or DPP-4 inhibitors, i.e. alogliptin, linagliptin, saxagliptin, sitagliptin and vildagliptin, have a burdensome adverse effect profile that includes serious hypersensitivity reactions (anaphylaxis and cutaneous reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome), infections (in particular urinary tract and upper respiratory tract infections), pancreatitis, bullous pemphigoid, and intestinal obstruction b- Finasteride 5 mg is sometimes an option in benign prostatic hyper- plasia, when alpha-1 blockers provide insufficient relief of urinary symptoms, are unsuitable or provoke unacceptable adver...
Prescrire is a French independent review funded only by subscribers, with no industry money. Its annual "drugs to avoid" list (2026 edition, section: Allergy) names drugs it judges more harmful than useful in every authorised indication. Its view is one expert opinion, reached without a conflict of interest.
is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus . TRADJENTA is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus ( 1 ) Limitations of Use Not recommended in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus as it would not be effective ( 1 ) Has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis ( 1 ) Limitations of Use TRADJENTA is not recommended in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus as it would not be effective. TRADJENTA has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis. It is unknown whether patients with a history of pancreatitis are at an increased risk for the development of pancreatitis while using TRADJENTA [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to linagliptin or any of the excipients in TRADJENTA, reactions such as anaphylaxis, angioedema, exfoliative skin conditions, urticaria, or bronchial hyperreactivity have occurred [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) and Adverse Reactions (6) ]. Hypersensitivity to linagliptin or any of the excipients in TRADJENTA ( 4 , 5.3 )
Pancreatitis: There have been reports of acute pancreatitis, including fatal pancreatitis. If pancreatitis is suspected, promptly discontinue TRADJENTA. ( 5.1 ) Hypoglycemia: Consider lowering the dosage of insulin secretagogue or insulin to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia when initiating TRADJENTA ( 5.2 ) Hypersensitivity reactions: Serious hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis, angioedema, and exfoliative skin conditions) have occurred with TRADJENTA. If hypersensitivity reactions occur, discontinue TRADJENTA, treat promptly, and monitor until signs and symptoms resolve. ( 5.3 ) Arthralgia: Severe and disabling arthralgia has been reported in patients taking TRADJENTA. Consider as a possible cause for severe joint pain and discontinue drug if appropriate. ( 5.4 ) Bullous pemphigoid: There have been reports of bullous pemphigoid requiring hospitalization. Tell patients to report development of blisters or erosions. If bullous pemphigoid is suspected, discontinue TRADJENTA. ( 5.5 ) Heart failure: Heart failure has been observed with two other members of the DPP-4 inhibitor class. Consider risks and benefits of TRADJENTA in patients who have known risk factors for heart fail...
The following serious adverse reactions are described below or elsewhere in the prescribing information: Pancreatitis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use with Insulin and Insulin Secretagogues [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Severe and Disabling Arthralgia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Bullous Pemphigoid [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Heart Failure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Most common adverse reaction (incidence ≥5% and more often than placebo) was nasopharyngitis ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-800-542-6257, or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The safety evaluation of TRADJENTA 5 mg once daily in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is based on 14 placebo-controlled trials...
Source: FDA SPL label for Tradjenta (A-S Medication Solutions), effective 20240122. Full label on DailyMed.
These are counts of reports people filed, not rates of harm. Anyone can file one, and nobody checks whether the drug was the cause. Millions of doses are taken for every report sent, so the useful part is how this drug compares with the average across all drugs.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,204 | 1,825 | 1,704 | 1,633 | 1,897 | 1,455 | 1,268 | 681 |
2,333 reports blaming this drug for every million Medicare prescriptions filled, which is 0.8× the typical drug on this site. (3,375 reports in 2024–2026, against 1,446,832 Medicare fills in one year. This is the one number here that accounts for how many people take the drug.)
Source: the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports are voluntary and unverified. Drugs that are prescribed a lot, in the news, or in lawsuits attract more reports, so the percentages are compared with the whole database to correct for that partly, not fully.
Counts measure how much evidence exists and how transparent it is, not how big the benefit is. For that, ask your prescriber: if 100 people like me took this, how many would get better because of it, and how many would be harmed? (Doctors call these the "number needed to treat" and "number needed to harm.") It differs by condition and is the number drug ads leave out. Sources: PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov.
In 2024, drug companies reported $130,883 in payments to US physicians and hospitals tied to this drug across 6,948 transactions (Tradjenta $130,883).
No pending federal MDL names this drug or its brands.
Not named in any federal pharmaceutical settlement of $100M or more on record.
Sources: CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act); Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation pending docket list; DOJ settlements as tabulated on Wikipedia with links to the primary record. State-court and individual suits are not included.
Same ATC pharmacological class, graded ones first, best grade at the top. Being in the same class does not make them interchangeable for your condition; it makes them worth asking about.