Actos User Sues To Cover Cost Of Bladder Cancer Treatment

William Greenlee is just one of the countless of Actos patients who feels duped.

Greenlee, of Edwardsville, Illinois, never knew that taking Actos for more than a year put him at a higher risk for bladder cancer. He didn’t know, that is, until he was diagnosed with bladder cancer in June 2010 after taking the drug for three years.

Greenlee, like other Actos bladder cancer patients, has turned to the court system for help. In January 2012, he filed a lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, because of his mounting medical bills and his pain and suffering. He said Takeda, along with partnering drug company Ely Lilly, knew about the risks before they marketed the drug. He said the companies purposely hid the risks.

He also said that Takeda has been purely motivated by money because Actos accounts for $4.8 billion, or nearly 30 percent, of the company’s revenue. In that same vein, on January 18, 2012 Takeda announced it would be cutting 2,800 jobs — 2,100 in Europe and 700 in the U.S. — to save $2.6 billion, partially because of the company’s projected losses when generic Actos hits the market this year.

Ever since August 2011, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came out with its black-box warning on the drug, patients nationwide have been turning to the court system. It has been reported that Takeda can face up to 10,000 lawsuits stemming from Actos bladder cancer patients.

So widespread is the mounting legal action that there have been moves toward large class-action lawsuits and a multidistrict litigation (MDL). In January 2012, the U.S. MDL Judicial Panel, a panel of seven federal judges, decided to centralize the cases. That means Actos lawsuits will be heard in a Louisiana courtroom by the same judge. This judge will make determinations on pre-trial proceedings. Once that is done, the cases will be sent back to the individual district judges for trial.

The threat of bladder cancer is serious and real for so many Actos (pioglitazone) patients. The FDA said the early results of a 10-year study showed that patients who took the drug for longer than a year have a higher risk of bladder cancer. If caught early enough, bladder cancer is very treatable. Despite the risks involved and recalls by counter part agencies in France and Germany the FDA has no public plans for an Actos recall.

But bladder cancer symptoms, which include weight loss, frequent urination and bloody urine, can be similar to that in other diseases. It’s important to seek out a doctor if you have any symptoms or suspect you are suffering from any severe Actos side effects, not just bladder cancer.

The treatment for the disease depends on the severity of it. It could include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

For that reason, Actos patients have been turning to the courts to help pay for the huge medical bills that comes with cancer treatments, money to compensate of time off work during treatment and household expenses that increase following a diagnosis. If you take Actos and have been diagnosed with bladder cancer you should consult a competent product liability lawyer that has experience suing pharmaceutical companies like Takeda.  For information about Actos lawsuits, your legal rights to seek compensation, and the learn about your legal options cal 1-800-452-0949.