Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit
Many people who took the diabetes drug Actos and then developed bladder cancer did not realize the connection between the two. When manufacturer Takeda Pharmaceuticals first released the product onto the market in 1999, they included no warning on the label concerning the disease. It wasn’t until the FDA released a public health communication in mid-2011 that people became more aware of Actos side effects. At that point, many came forward to file an Actos bladder cancer lawsuit.
First reports of Actos side effects
Many plaintiffs who have filed these Actos lawsuits argue that Takeda was aware of a potential risk of bladder cancer, due to a two-year animal study they conducted prior to the 1999 FDA approval. That study resulted in drug-induced tumors in rats receiving clinical doses of Actos.
Once Actos was on the market, another study in 2005 indicated serious Actos side effects. The PROactive three-year study showed a higher percentage of bladder cancer cases in those patients receiving Actos versus other comparable drugs.
FDA warning and 2011 Actos recall
In the summer of 2011, the French Medicines Agency implemented an Actos recall. Shortly after that, while not going as far as an Actos recall, Germany advised physicians to write no new prescriptions for the drug.
Meanwhile, on June 15, 2011, the FDA issued another safety announcement stating that the “use of the diabetes medication Actos for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.”
Though they did not initiate an Actos recall, they required new label warnings about Actos side effects. They based their announcement on their review of an ongoing 10-year study, which showed that Actos use for longer than 12 months was associated with a 40 percent increased risk of bladder cancer.
Plaintiffs file Actos bladder cancer lawsuit
Plaintiffs filing an Actos bladder cancer lawsuit blame Takeda for failing to warn of the risks. Many also claim the company made a defective and dangerous product. All seek compensation to help pay for medical expenses, ongoing health care, loss of earning potential, and pain and suffering.
Actos lawsuits increase around the country
So many people have filed an Actos cancer lawsuit, with most seeking in excess of $75,000 in federal court, that the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation established Actos multidistrict litigation (MDL) on December 29, 2011, in the Western District of Louisiana. At the time, over 100 cases were identified as potential tag-along actions, with that number gradually increasing through 2012.
Soon after, California consolidated several Actos cancer lawsuits into one state court under a single judge. These consolidations are meant to increase the efficiency of the pre-trial process, helping reduce the risk of inconsistent judgments and duplicate discovery.