Litigation Against Canagliflozin Amputation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has linked the diabetes drug Invokana (canagliflozin) to a significant risk of amputation of the toes, feet, and legs. Patients who take this drug for their type 2 diabetes have a risk of amputations as high as 50 percent greater than diabetes patients who do not take the drug.
Parker Waichman LLP is actively pursuing litigation against the manufacturers of Invokana (canagliflozin) and recently made national news in filing two claims on behalf of amputee victims. If you or a loved one took Invokana and developed serious medical complications leading to amputation of toes, feet, or legs, contact our office today to see if you are eligible to file a lawsuit for damages.
EXPERIENCED CANAGLIFLOZIN AMPUTATION INJURY LAWYERS
Invokana (canagliflozin) is part of a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes called SGLT2 inhibitors. These drugs are designed to help patients control their blood sugar by preventing glucose re-absorption in the kidneys. However, recent studies show that Invokana greatly increases patients’ risks of amputation of their lower limbs and digits.
Diabetic patients are already at risk for problems with their lower limbs because of the disease’s propensity to cause narrowing of the blood vessels and neuropathy (nerve damage). Because of decreased blood flow (ischemia) and lowered pain sensation, diabetic patients can have difficulty recognizing injuries to their feet and legs. If wounds or ulcers go undetected and untreated, patients can develop serious infections, necrosis, and tissue death. Sometimes, the only remedy for these complications is amputation of the affected limbs or digits.
In an already at-risk population, Invokana (canagliflozin) creates an even greater risk of amputations. Studies show that the drug exacerbates the processes that lead to amputations, making Invokana patients more likely to have amputations of their toes, feet, and legs. Parker Waichman LLP represents men and women who have been forced to undergo amputations after using Invokana, sometimes for as little as a year or less.
These injuries have utterly devastating consequences in people’s lives, and Parker Waichman LLP is helping victims fight back against the drug manufacturers who concealed the information that could have changed the course of these patients’ treatment and prevented them from harm. Our firm has secured more than $2 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients, and we will work tirelessly to achieve the results you need.
FDA Requires Strongest Possible Warning for Invokana
In May 2016, the FDA released a safety announcement warning of the potential link between Invokana and amputations. A year later, the FDA confirmed the link by requiring a black box warning to be placed on the drug label for Invokana.
A black box warning is the strongest possible warning the FDA can require for a drug product. It mandates severe safety information be printed in bold at the top of the drug label, encased in a thick, black border. The black box is designed to alert prescribing doctors and pharmacists to severe risks. This type of warning indicates that the drug should only be given to a patient in rare situations when the benefits of treatment outweigh the severe risks.
Canagliflozin Lawsuits in the News
Parker Waichman LLP made national news in January 2018 by filing two lawsuits against the manufacturers of Invokana: Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson. Because of these corporations’ dangerous drug, these two clients had suffered amputations of their legs.
Our clients’ lawsuits are now pending in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County. We alleged in their petitions that Janssen and Johnson & Johnson caused our clients serious and irreparable harm when they:
- Defectively designed Invokana;
- Defectively manufactured Invokana;
- Failed to conduct proper testing on Invokana;
- Failed to provide adequate warnings about the risks of amputations when taking Invokana;
- Concealed the risk of amputations from doctors and patients;
- Sold Invokana in an unreasonably dangerous condition.
Of the two lawsuits we filed in January 2018, one involved a 60-year-old Alabama resident who took Invokana for approximately one year and was forced to undergo amputation of his left foot in December 2015. Only one month following amputation of his left foot, our client had to undergo amputation of his entire left leg below the knee. The second lawsuit involved a 53-year-old Iowa resident who took Invokana for just eight months before requiring a below-the-knee amputation of his right leg.
These injuries have had severe effects on the lives of our clients. They not only have to deal with the physical loss of their legs, but they also have to deal with the accompanying limitations, the depression, stress, and financial consequences of these horrific events. Parker Waichman’s attorneys are appalled by the egregious conduct of these drug corporations and the tragic effects that have flowed to our clients. We are fighting every day for the rights of people injured by Invokana, and we can help you and your family regain a sense of stability in your lives by seeking the compensation you deserve.
Invokana Multidistrict Litigation
Hundreds of plaintiffs have filed Invokana cases around the country, and the majority of the cases are now centralized in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. This type of centralized litigation is known as a Multidistrict Litigation or MDL. The discovery process in all these cases will occur under the direction of the MDL court, and the MDL court will also preside over early trials in the litigation, which are known as “bellwether trials.”
While the cases are all filed in the same court, each plaintiff still has his or her own individual case. The Invokana MDL judge, U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti, has ordered that the first Invokana bellwether trial begins in fall 2018.
Outside of the MDL, several Invokana cases have been filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Parker Waichman LLP has filed several cases in the Superior Court of New Jersey.
Free Invokana Case Consultations: Contact Parker Waichman LLP
The Invokana lawyers at Parker Waichman LLP are offering free, no-obligation consultations to clients who have suffered amputation injuries after taking the drug. Statutes of limitations apply to all drug product claims, and time could be running out to file your claim. Do not delay in calling an experienced attorney to begin your case investigation and protect your rights.
If you or a loved one took Invokana for type 2 diabetes and underwent amputation of toes, feet, or legs, contact our national firm today by calling 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) or by filling out our online form.