As the Actos litigation continues to move forward, amid allegations that side effects of the diabetes drug caused plaintiffs to develop bladder cancer, a growing number of cases are being converted to wrongful death lawsuits as patients pass away from the deadly disease. In the federal court system, all Actos bladder cancer cases have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings in the Western District of Louisiana, where more than 2,500 lawsuits are currently centralized as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). If you believe you have been adversely affected by a potentially dangerous medication like Actos, consult a qualified lawyer in your area to discuss the benefits of filing a product liability claim against the drug manufacturing company.
Actos (pioglitazone) is a widely-used Type 2 diabetes drug that was first introduced by Takeda Pharmaceuticals in 1999. Since that time, Actos has been prescribed to millions of diabetes patients throughout the United States, many of whom are now struggling with devastating complications allegedly linked to Actos, including bladder cancer. FDA officials first reviewed the potential risk of bladder cancer with Actos use in September 2010, after data pulled from an ongoing 10-year study found that diabetes patients faced an increased risk of bladder cancer the longer they took Actos. As a result of this potential risk, both France and Germany have announced an Actos recall, and many people have called for the diabetes drug to be removed from the market in the U.S.
Over the past two years, a growing number of lawsuits have been filed against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, on behalf of Actos patients who claim they would never have used the diabetes drug if they had received accurate information about the risk of bladder cancer side effects. Unfortunately, because of the deadly effects of bladder cancer, many plaintiffs who have filed complaints against Takeda have succumbed to the disease before their case was brought to trial. Over the past few weeks, at least three notices have been filed with the Actos MDL, adding wrongful death claims to existing bladder cancer complaints, after plaintiffs who previously filed lawsuits have passed away.
According to the National Cancer Institute, a bladder cancer diagnosis at Stage I has an average five-year survival rate of 88%, while diagnosis at Stage II has only a 63% survival rate, Stage III a 46% survival rate, and Stage IV a 15% survival rate. If you took Actos to treat Type 2 diabetes and you have since suffered from a life-threatening side effect like bladder cancer, our consumer advocates at the Consumer Justice Foundation can help. We can put you in touch with a reputable attorney in your area who has experience handling product liability claims, so that you can pursue financial compensation for your injuries, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
