Since Actos hit the market in the late 1990s, doctors prescribed it to millions of type 2 diabetes patients. Although the drug does help with diabetes, medical studies show a link between Actos and serious, life-threatening side effects, including heart failure and bladder cancer.
As more studies reveal more evidence about Actos triggering life-altering side effects, an increasing number of people who suffered complications are filing lawsuits against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the drug’s manufacturer.
To date, more than 1,300 lawsuits are pending in U.S. federal court. Thousands of additional cases are being filed in state courts. The number keeps climbing because of widespread exposure to Actos’ dangers, and some observers hint that the number of lawsuits could climb as high as 10,000.
As a result, a judicial panel has ordered the transfer of all federal Actos lawsuits to U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The court is the central location for processing and handling federal Actos litigation, known as multidistrict litigation (MDL) No. 2299.
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If you have bladder cancer after using Actos, ask about your legal options.
Legal Assistance and Filing an Actos Lawsuit
If you were prescribed Actos, and have experienced negative side effects because of your treatment, you may be eligible to receive compensation to cover the cost of medical expenses, and pain and suffering caused by the medication. For additional information about Actos lawsuits, please call (800) 452-0949.
Actos is manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Japan’s largest drugmaker. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co. marketed the drug in the United States for Takeda between 1999 and 2006. Because of Eli Lilly’s involvement, Actos lawsuits have been filed against both companies for injuries related to the prescription drug.
The lawsuits allege that the drug companies did not adequately warn the public about the dangers of Actos. The drug is linked to heart attacks, congestive heart failure, liver damage, blindness, bone fractures and kidney damage. Most recently, long-term Actos use has also been linked to bladder cancer.
A central reason people file lawsuits is to obtain compensation for medical expenses and other losses related to their injury. They also sue to warn others about drug dangers and to hold drugmakers like Tadeka accountable.
Warnings about Actos
Actos was first introduced as a prescription treatment to control blood-sugar levels in type 2 diabetes patients. It rose in popularity after a different diabetes drug, Avandia, was linked to heart attacks and strokes. At the time, Avandia was the most-prescribed drug in the world for type 2 diabetes.
Tadeka even funded research to market Actos as a preventive treatment to keep people with prediabetes from developing type 2 diabetes. The research was publicized just months before a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning about the link between Actos and bladder cancer.
In June 2011, the FDA warned the public that patients using Actos for over a year experience an increased risk of bladder cancer. Days earlier, German and French regulators pulled Actos off the market for similar concerns.
Tadeka has revised information about cancer risks on its drug leaflets. However, the product remains on the market in the United States.
When drugmakers hide or fail to give warnings about health risks, patients lose the chance to choose safer treatments. Knowledge is often the best patient advocate. That is why it is important to hold drugmakers responsible and let others know about drug risks.
Basic Premise of Many Actos Lawsuits
Many people who have developed bladder cancer because of their treatment with Actos and other pioglitazone medications have filed legal claims against Takeda to receive compensation for medical expenses, as well as pain and suffering.
The lawsuits allege Takeda failed to adequately warn patients of the risk of bladder cancer associated with the medication, allowing millions of patients to be put at risk of developing cancer while they received treatment for diabetes.
In a federal court filing in September 2011, Takeda attorneys acknowledged 54 lawsuits against the company relating to Actos bladder cancer. Since, hundreds of lawsuits across the United States have been filed against Takeda, including claims in Florida, New York, California and Ohio. Some of the plaintiffs have filed lawsuits on behalf of loved ones who died from bladder cancer or other complications after taking Actos.
Many of the complainants allege the drug was not properly researched, patients were not warned about the cancer risks and the drug company concealed dangers of Actos. The complainants said Takeda had a vested interest in keeping Actos complications secret. Many said they never would have taken the drug had they known about the Actos link to bladder cancer.
In one lawsuit, a 54-year-old woman from Reading, Penn., said she took Actos for more than a decade and was recently diagnosed with recurrent bladder cancer. With mounting medical bills, she is worried about keeping her job through multiple surgeries and chemotherapy.
Another lawsuit was filed by a 57-year-old warehouse worker from New York who is facing multiple surgeries after being diagnosed with bladder cancer. He took Actos for more than five years before he was diagnosed.
“If somebody had told me I could get cancer from Actos, I never would have taken it,” the man told Bloomberg News. “There were other products out there that could have helped treat my diabetes without putting me through all of this.”
Actos Lawsuit – Litigation, MDL and Class Action
Mounting 2011 legal actions against Takeda included a move toward multidistrict litigation. Since August 2011, claims have been filed in the U.S. District Courts in Louisiana, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, California and other states.
In December 2011, each Actos lawsuit pending in federal court was consolidated into a single multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Louisiana. The MDL avoids contradictory rulings by multiple judges, overlapping discovery processes and saves on attorney fees and court costs. It also helps the court system cope with an anticipated flood of lawsuits.
An MDL gives the federal court a way to process groups of similar lawsuits efficiently. Through an MDL, one federal judge handles all of the pre-trial proceedings. Then the cases are handed back to the individual district judges for trial.
A class-action lawsuit, on the other hand, is a single lawsuit involving people with similar claims. Together, these people are known as a class and must request court approval for a class action. Injured claimants are not required to join class actions. They can choose to file cases on their own.
Some people prefer to have more individual input into issues like settlement terms. It is wise to talk to an attorney before deciding whether to join a class action. An attorney can explain the pros and cons of filing a separate case on your own.
In addition to the Actos bladder cancer legal action, experts suggest there will be multiple claims that Actos caused heart attacks and strokes.
Compensation for Actos Injuries
Patients who have been harmed by Actos may be eligible for financial compensations for their medical expenses and other losses. Millions of people have been placed at risk of developing serious conditions while treating their diabetes. Actos-related injuries like cancer can prove long-term and costly. The physical, emotional and financial burdens are enormous.
In addition, families of loved ones may be eligible for similar compensation. If you have lost a loved one as a result of bladder cancer or another Actos-related injury, talk to a lawyer about filing a wrongful death claim.
Seek Assistance
Drugwatch.com provides general information about Actos claims and can help you understand your legal rights. For additional information about Actos lawsuits, please call (800) 452-0949.
Always talk to a lawyer about your specific injuries and whether you are eligible to file a lawsuit. If you decide to file a lawsuit, an attorney can gather information, decide where to file your case, file paperwork with the court and handle your case while you heal. Talk to a lawyer as soon as possible because courts limit the amount of time available to file a claim.
