Another lawsuit has been filed against the maker of Type II diabetes drug, Actos. Brought by a New Hampshire man, the lawsuit includes allegations that Actos (pioglitazone) caused his bladder cancer.
According to the lawsuit, the man began taking Actos in April 2004 and was diagnosed with bladder cancer in August 2008, allegedly due to the use of Actos. The lawsuit alleges that Takeda knew that use of Actos could cause bladder cancer, but did not adequately warn the man, his physician, or other consumers taking Actos. He is suing for permanent injuries, emotional distress, economic loss due to medical expenses, and living-related expenses due to a new lifestyle.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that taking Actos for one year may significantly increase the risk of bladder cancer and also updated the Actos safety label in 2011 to address these risks. Findings were based on an ongoing 10-year study conducted by Kaiser Permanente. Also, last May, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a study that revealed that patients who took Actos for two years were twice as likely to develop bladder cancer. This past July, a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal revealed that Actos users were 22 percent likelier to develop bladder cancer.
Meanwhile, in the first of more than 3,000 Actos injury lawsuits being heard and on which we’ve written, prior witness testimony indicated that Takeda appears to have put money before patient safety when it came to Actos. Thousands of patients have come forward who believe they’ve either contracted bladder cancer or have been unknowingly put at risk for this life-threatening disease because Takeda hid evidence that revealed its popular drug was linked to this very dangerous side effect.
In fact, the trial revealed that Takeda’s studies of Actos revealed links to bladder cancer as far back as 2004; however, Takeda did not advise United States regulators for seven years, said Bloomberg News previously. Takeda is Asia’s largest drug maker and, according to that plaintiff’s attorney, Takeda hid this news to protect its more than $1.6 billion in yearly Actos sales.
The national law firm, Parker Waichman LLP, filed the newest lawsuit on April 2nd in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (Case No. 6:13-cv-0702). There, it is pending in the Actos federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) entitled In Re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 6:11-md-2299).
Jerrold S. Parker, founding partner of Parker Waichman LLP, serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the MDL. Takeda Pharmaceuticals, America; Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. f/k/a Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; and Eli Lilly and Company have been named as defendants.
