Actos Lawsuits Gain Steam Throughout U.S.

For victims of Actos bladder cancer, justice may be almost served as legislation gains traction. In late December 2011, eleven federal court Actos lawsuits were consolidated into multidistrict legislation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. On January 4, 2012, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carl J. West granted a petition to centralize several Actos lawsuits into one California court. And in another Louisiana courtroom, an Actos bladder cancer class action trial is moving forward.

Actos Lawsuits Allege Failure to Warn

Many Actos bladder cancer lawsuits contend that Actos, a prescription medication to treat type 2 diabetes, increases a patient's risk of developing bladder cancer; these lawsuits also allege that the manufacturers of Actos failed to adequately warn consumers of this increased risk. Victims of Actos bladder cancer, as well as their families, are asking the court for damages related to their pain and suffering, loss of income, and past and future medical expenses. It is possible that Actos settlements may pay out substantial awards, similar to those disbursed in connection with Avandia, another diabetes drug.

Risk of Actos Bladder Cancer

Actos, also known as pioglitazone, is a diabetes medication in the thiazolidinedione (TZD) drug class. TZD drugs help regulate type 2 diabetes, a condition caused by irregularities in blood sugar that can cause dehydration, heart problems, and kidney failure. Studies have shown that patients who take Actos for an extended period of time, and especially those patients who take the drug for more than a year, exhibit the highest risk. Symptoms of Actos bladder cancer may include bloody urine, painful urination, and lower back pain.

Actos Lawyer Fights for Clients

In summer 2011, France recognized the risk of Actos bladder cancer, and issued a countrywide Actos recall. Germany has suspended sales. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety announcement to inform the public of the risk. In light these international developments, it is possible that the courts will follow in government footsteps. However, since Actos lawsuits are still in the baby-step stage, it is unclear what is to be expected of Actos settlements. Litigation against Avandia, another TZD diabetes medication, yielded billions of dollars in compensation.

Actos Lawsuit Accuses Takeda of Favoring Profits over Patients

John and Jewel Durel filed their Actos bladder cancer lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Diego on January 17, 2012. Plaintiff John Durel alleges that he is a victim of Actos bladder cancer, and states that he developed the life-threatening condition after taking Actos, a diabetes medication manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. In their Actos lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that Takeda manufactured a defective product, exhibited corporate negligence in its Actos marketing, breached express and implied warranties, committed fraud, and also failed to warn medical professionals and the pubic regarding Actos side effects. In their complaint, the Durels state that Actos is one of Takeda's bestselling medications, earning the pharmaceutical company $4.8 billion in profits in 2011 alone.

Actos Lawsuit filed in California

The Durels are residents of Louisiana, but through a legal precept known as diversity jurisdiction, they were able to file their Actos lawsuit in California. Diversity jurisdiction states that a victim may sue his alleged wrongdoer in federal court when the parties – the plaintiff and the defense – reside in two different states. California is the principal place of business for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and therefore qualifies as the company's residence.

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Contends Fraud and Negligence

In 2011, John Durel was allegedly hospitalized due to Actos bladder cancer; Plaintiff Durel claims that his bladder cancer is the result of prolonged use of Actos. In their Actos bladder cancer lawsuit, the Durels allege that Takeda Pharmaceuticals "concealed and continue to conceal their knowledge that Actos can cause bladder cancer." Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that Takeda placed their profits over patient safety, choosing not to disclose Actos side effects and risks in favor of their bottom line – to the tune of $4.8 million in 2011. The lawsuit cites a PROactive study that showed a link between Actos and an increased risk of bladder cancer, and states that Takeda "willfully, wantonly and with malice withheld the knowledge of increased risk of cancer in users of Actos to prevent any chances of its products registration being delayed or rejected by FDA."

FDA Requires Actos Side Effects Warning

Patients who take Actos for more than twelve months report a higher risk of side effects, particularly Actos bladder cancer, than patients who use Actos for less than a year. Due to mounting evidence showing the link between Actos and side effects, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires Takeda Pharmaceuticals to include these side effects on the drug's warning label.

Actos Bladder Cancer Review

Actos lawyers are pursuing potential lawsuits over the drug for former users of the diabetes medication who have been diagnosed with Actos bladder cancer. Health regulators in some European countries have suspended sales of the drug and the FDA required new warnings about the potential risk of Actos bladder cancer in June 2011. Recent research has suggested that Actos side effects may increase the risk of bladder cancer the longer the medications is taken. Early data from an on-going 10 year study of Actos side effects conducted by Takeda Pharmaceuticals has suggested that users of the diabetes drug may face an increased risk of cancer when the medication is taken for more than a year.

Actos was approved by the FDA in July 1999 as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. It is part of the same class of drugs as Avandia (rosiglitazone), which has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and other health problems. In recent years, use of Actos has increased as some studies have suggested that the diabetes medication may be safer than Avandia. In September 2010, the FDA announced that the potential Actos bladder cancer risk was being reviewed and evaluated. At the time the agency said early data from a 10-year study submitted by Takeda, the maker of Actos, had not indicated a statistically significant association between exposure to the drug and bladder cancer risk. However, there was some evidence that patients taking Actos at least two years or at the highest cumulative doses (>28,000 mg) did face a greater danger from bladder cancer.

Currently there are three different types of Actos bladder cancer that have been identified. The most common type that has been reported is referred to as “transitional cell carcinoma” and begins in the inner lining of cells located within the bladder. Adenocarcinoma, which begins in the cells that make up and release mucus and other fluids, is a rare but potential type of Actos bladder cancer. Four percent of patients diagnosed with Actos bladder cancer have been affected by squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer that starts in thin flat cells.

Avandia and Actos: Heart Problems in Common

A number of personal injury lawsuits have been filed dealing with both type II diabetes drugs Avandia and Actos. They are both TZD medications, which work by helping reduce body tissue insulin resistance and therefore help diabetics maintain healthy blood sugar levels, but some of the Actos side effects they have been linked to are different. The majority of Actos lawsuits cite bladder cancer as the side effect suffered by the patient, whereas Avandia has been linked much more to heart attacks and other heart problems. A 2007 study showed that Avandia users are about 43 percent more likely than the average person to have a heart attack.

Because of the risk of Avandia heart problems and despite the risk of Actos bladder cancer, a number of health care professionals have been opting to use Actos instead of Avandia to treat type II diabetes because they are such similar medications. In fact, besides heart problems and bladder cancer which were considered unique to Avandia and Actos respectively, side effects of the two drugs are relatively similar--heart failure, water retention, weight gain, and hypoglycemia are all side effects of both medications.

Federal Court Receives New Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit

California residents Eugene and Karol Lombardi filed their Actos bladder cancer lawsuit on December 8, 2011. The plaintiffs filed in California Superior Court for the County of Sutter, but since their case met the requirements for amount in controversy and diversity of citizenship, on January 3, 2012, it was removed to U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California. Through their Actos lawyer, the Lombardis allege that Eugene Lombardi suffers from Actos bladder cancer, and ask for special, general and punitive damages.

Bladder Cancer Subject of Actos Lawsuit

In 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Actos safety warning regarding the link between bladder cancer and the diabetes medication. However, in their Actos lawsuit, the Lombardis allege that Takeda Pharmaceuticals knew, or should have know, about this risk long before the FDA issued its public communication. The lawsuit claims that Takeda failed to properly study their product, and that the company did not adequately assess Actos side effects and risk factors.

The Lombardis' Actos lawsuit also alleges that Takeda was aware of scientific evidence that showed a link between Actos and an increased risk of bladder cancer, but did not inform the public or apply proper Actos warning labels. Their Actos lawyer cites a report published by the French Medicines Agency on June 7, 2011 that shows an association between bladder cancer and Actos. On June 9, France issued an Actos recall. Germany did not issue an official recall, but did suspend all sales of Actos.

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Requests Damages

In their Actos lawsuit, the Lombardis allege that Mr. Lombardi suffers from Actos bladder cancer and, as a result, diminished quality of life, bodily impairment, mental anguish, and pain and suffering. They are requesting punitive, special and general damages for defective design, deceit by concealment, failure to warn, medical expenses, and negligence, as well as loss of consortium for Karol Lombardi. The Lombardis' case joins many other Actos lawsuits filed against Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Actos Lawsuit Alleges Bladder Cancer

After allegedly contracting Actos bladder cancer, Alfred Sforzo and his wife Ruth Sforzo on January 4, 2012 filed an Actos lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio. The plaintiffs named Eli Lilly and Takeda Pharmaceuticals as defendants in the case, and allege that Mr. Sforzo's bladder cancer is directly linked to the diabetes medication.

Actos Lawsuit Alleges Failure to Warn

The plaintiffs Ruth and Alfred Sforzo ask the court for both compensatory and punitive damages for injuries, specifically Actos bladder cancer, suffered by Mr. Sforzo. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Sforzo allegedly began taking Actos to treat his type II diabetes in 2004. Sforzo was diagnosed with Actos bladder cancer in May 2005. Through their Actos lawyer, the Sforzos allege that the drug's manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, committed "failure to warn." In other words, the lawsuit alleges that the drug company did not warn the public or medical professionals, who would in turn inform consumers, of the increased risk of bladder cancer associated with taking Actos for more than 12 months.

Study Reveals Link Between Actos and Bladder Cancer

In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Actos for use. Actos, which also goes by the generic name pioglitazone, is one of the bestselling prescription drugs in the country; it is estimated that Actos generates an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue. However, evidence exists to link the prolonged use of Actos with bladder cancer. In 2011, a study investigated reports to the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System and revealed that there is "a definite signal for bladder cancer associated with (Actos) use" after a period of 6 to 24 months.

FDA Studies Links to Actos Bladder Cancer

In September 2011, the FDA announced plans for a longitudinal exposure study into the link between pioglitazone, or Actos, and increased risks of bladder cancer. Unfortunately, the Sforzos, and other alleged victims of Actos bladder cancer, cannot afford to wait for the FDA's findings.

Woman Files Lawsuit Alleging Actos Killed Her Mother

Inez Mae Buck has filed an Actos Lawsuit on behalf of her decedent mother, following her death from Actos Bladder Cancer. Her Actos Lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. FDA officials began reviewing the potential risk of Actos bladder cancer problems in September 2010, after interim data from an on-going 10 year study found that users may face an increased risk the longer they take the drug. Both France and Germany have already instituted an Actos recall, and the drug has seen increased label warnings in the U.S. and across the rest of the European Union.

All of the lawsuits over Actos and bladder cancer filed in various courts throughout the United States include similar allegations, that Takeda concealed their knowledge that users may face an increased risk of bladder cancer and failed to provide adequate warnings to consumers or the medical community. Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Actos, has indicated it intends to file a motion to transfer all of the California state court lawsuits over Actos to the federal MDL. However, lawyers representing plaintiffs who have brought the cases in California maintain that there is a legitimate basis for keeping the cases in state court, as Takeda operates a facility in San Diego.

All Actos lawsuits filed in California state court by individuals who developed bladder cancer after taking the popular type 2 diabetes drug will be consolidated and coordinated during pretrial proceedings. In June 2011, an Actos recall was issued in France after health authorities ordered doctors to stop prescribing the drug due to the possible risk of bladder cancer. A French study of public insurance data confirmed that there is a slight increase in the risk of bladder cancer with Actos use, adding to the prior concerns about long-term use of the medication. Many have indicated that the FDA should remove Actos from the market in the United States as well, due to the risk of bladder cancer outweighing the potential benefits provided by the medication.

Actos Linked To Deadly Cancer In Lawsuit

The diabetes drug Actos has been linked to a number of serious side effects, one of them being cancer. Cancer is one of the most serious diseases in the United States and could put a patient's health at risk. A lawsuit filed by Nina Kingsdale and her Actos lawyer of New York claims that the drug was responsible for her husband's death in December of 2009. He was prescribed Actos for the treatment of type II diabetes in 2001 and had been taking it for years before his cancer diagnosis.

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuits Filed Nationwide

Patients who have used the medication Actos in order to hopefully treat and prevent complications of their diabetes have sometimes fallen victim to a number of side effects associated with the drug, one of the most serious being bladder cancer. A number of plaintiffs such as Shirley DiGiacomo have already filed their Actos lawsuits, trying to gain restitution after discovering they suffer from conditions as severe as certain kinds of cancer. The drug maker, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, must soon be ready to face a growing number of lawsuits that deal with alleged side effects, a number of them severe.

DiGiacomo's lawyer alleges that his client not only suffers from bladder cancer, but that her bladder cancer is related to the diabetes drug Actos. This case is not unlike a number of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits that have already been filed; most of the claims are criticizing Takeda Pharmaceuticals and alleging that they are guilty of both negligence and breach of warranty when it comes to Actos, a product that some argue is causing more harm than good. The most dire concern is that Takeda failed to effectively warn the public of the potential for possible Actos side effects and as a result, a number of patients were not properly informed of all the potential for risks when they agreed to use the product.

Actos Lawsuits surge in Illinois

More actos lawsuit are being filed by people who claim the type 2 diabetes drug caused them to develop bladder cancer. The most recent actos bladder cancer lawsuit, filed in federal court in Illinois by a Georgia woman, Josephine Stodgill, alleges Takeda Pharmaceuticals failed to warn patients about the bladder cancer risk associated with Actos.The Stodgill lawsuit is just the latest to be filed by a victim of bladder cancer allegedly caused by Actos. So far, at least 54 cases have been filed in federal district courts throughout the U.S. plaintiffs argue that Takeda failed to properly research the medication or warn about the risk.

Recent research has suggested that actos side effects may increase the risk of bladder cancer the longer the medications is taken. Actos is expected to be named in hundreds of lawsuits claiming it caused users to develop bladder cancer.

Actos Risks Post Potential Threats at Same Rate as Avandia

Actos (pioglitazone) was approved by FDA to treat Type 2 Diabetes in July, 1999. It is Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ best-selling drug, with sales of $3.4 billion last year. Sales have increased in recent years since a number of studies have suggested that Actos side effects appeared safer than its competitor, Avandia, which has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and deaths. Some experts and even federal regulators have called for an Avandia recall, which would likely lead to even greater use of Actos to treat diabetes, possibly increasing the risk of Actos bladder cancer sufferers. In 2005 results from the PROactive Study (PROspectivePioglitAzone Clinical Trial in Macro Vascular Events) demonstrated a higher percentage of  bladder cancer cases with Actos use than in competitors’ drugs following three years of research leading victims to file an Actos lawsuit. That information was not included when the study’s findings were published.

Bladder Cancer Risks WithActos May Be Found In Other Diabetes Drugs

A class action actos lawsuit has been filed against Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly on behalf of all users of the diabetes drug Actos, seeking financial compensation and medical monitoring as a result of the drug makers’ failure to adequately warn about the risk of bladder cancer from Actos. But Actos is not the only drug to contain its active chemical, pioglitazone. Avandia and Actos are members of a drug family called the thiazolidinediones, abbreviated TZDs. This is a relatively new class of oral anti-diabetic drugs which was developed during the 1990s. These drugs began their careers showing great promise in the treatment of insulin resistance, and hopes were raised by preliminary research that they might be able to rescue failing beta cells.Unfortunately, over time all three were found to cause life-threatening actos side effects, the risk of which was far greater than the benefit these drugs provided. 

The potential risk of actos bladder cancer problems is now being reviewed by health regulators in the United States and other countries throughout the world.

Rate of Bladder Cancer WithActos Leads To Mounting Lawsuits

On June 15, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a ‘Drug Safety Communication,’ informing the public that use of the diabetes medication Actos (pioglitazone) for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of actos bladder cancer. Information about this risk will be added to the Warnings and Precautions section of the label for pioglitazone-containing medicines. In a five-year interim analysis of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California, study, the FDA found that there was no significant increase in the risk for bladder cancer in patients taking pioglitazone. However, it was found that the risk for bladder cancer did grow with increasing dose and use longer than one year. The data showed that pioglitazone treatment for over 12 months carried a 40% increased risk of bladder cancer.

In recent months, dozens of individuals throughout the United States have filed a bladder cancer actos lawsuits, alleging that Takeda pharmaceuticals failed to adequately research their medication or warn about the potential risks associated with use and knowingly sold the drug while being aware of those risks. Plaintiffs indicate that they are bringing the Actos class action to recover money damages, medical monitoring and other relief for all individuals who ingested Actos are having Actos Side effects in the United States or its territories since it was introduced in July 1999.

Consolidation of Actos Lawsuits Into MDL Requested

Actos is the best-selling type II diabetes drug in the world, but over the summer, growing concerns about its possible link to actos bladder cancer reached a crescendo. On June 15, 2011, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication stating that use of Actos for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. That same month, sales of the drug were suspended in France and Germany after a separate study commissioned by French regulators demonstrated an increased risk of bladder cancer associated with actos side effects in people who took it the longest and at the highest cumulative dose. On July 12, Takeda Pharmaceuticals officially recalled Actos from the market in France.

If an Actos MDL is formed, all cases involving allegations that plaintiffs developed bladder cancer from Actos would be transferred to the same judge. In addition, as actos lawyer continue to review and file new complaints in federal courts throughout the United States, those cases would also be transferred into the MDL for pretrial litigation.Actos (pioglitazone) was approved by the FDA to treat Type 2 Diabetes in July, 1999.

Actos Lawsuits Balloon Ahead of MDL Petition

Actos bladder cancer lawsuits could be headed for consolidation in a multidistrict litigation (MDL). Late last month, plaintiffs in one such actos lawsuit petitioned the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistriction Litigation for the consolidation, requesting that all pending and future actos bladder cancer lawsuits in federal courts be transferred to U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois before Judge G. Patrick Murphy.An MDL allows lawsuits associated with a particular product to be coordinated under one judge for pretrial litigation to avoid duplicative discovery, inconsistent rulings and to conserve the resources of the parties, witnesses and the court. When lawsuits are consolidated as a multidistrict litigation, each retains its own identity. 

Concerns about the potential risk of bladder cancer from Actos first surfaced when it was discovered that rats given the drug had a higher rate of bladder tumors. Recent results from an on-going 10 year study, involving nearly 200,000 patients with diabetes, suggests that there may be a risk of bladder cancer from actos side effects the longer the medication is taken.Many have indicated that the FDA should remove Actos from the market in the United States as well, due to the risk of bladder cancer outweighing the potential benefits provided by the medication.

Actos Bladder Cancer: Why Weren’t Patients Warned?

Most of the Actos lawsuits filed by victims of harmful Actos side effects are  focused on the fact that the drug did not warn on its label of one of the most serious side effects that have been linked to the drug—Actos bladder cancer. Cancer is one of the most notorious diseases in our culture, and for good reason. It ravages the body of those it affects, causing them to undergo exhaustive and exhausting treatments which can range from grueling chemotherapy to painful and expensive surgery. The financial and physical cost of cancer, even when it is not fatal, is high—not to mention the psychological cost it takes from patients, their spouses, their children, and their loved ones.

Actos Lawsuit Sites Bladder Cancer as Cause for Patient’s Death

Public Citizen, a prominent consumer watchdog group, has indicate that the risk of actos bladder cancer from Actos is further proof that the diabetes drug needs to be removed from the market, and reinforces their earlier decision to place the drug on their “Do Not Use” list. This warning has come too late for some, as in the case of Robert Hodges, who died as a result of complications due to bladder cancer. Judith Hodges, filed a actos lawsuit on behalf of her late husband, alleging that his years of Actos use caused him to suffer severe, permanent and life-threatening personal injuries, pain, suffering, emotional distress, and a premature death.

Actos (pioglitazone) is a member of a family of drugs called thiazolidinediones, or glitazones, which have been linked to a number of health problems of actos side effects and have not been shown to reduce the risk of a heart attack or heart failure for diabetics,

Actos Lawyers Prepare for Court Battle

Actos is a pharmaceutical medication used to treat Type 2 Diabetes, a condition that affects a large number of people worldwide. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of the condition in 1999 and has enjoyed relative success since then. However, including actos bladder cancer, a number of patients have seen a darker side of the drug and have experienced severe Actos side effects.

As anyone familiar with the disease knows, cancer is a serious and sometimes deadly condition that requires harsh and extensive treatment. Actos Lawyers are at court, battling for the patients who have had cancer and are at risk for contracting the disease again, and may never regain the same quality of life they had before.

Actos Side Effects Call Plaintiffs to Action

A significant number of patients of the type 2 diabetes treatment drug Actos have filed lawsuits against drugmaker Takeda because of potentially life-threatening Actos side effects. Most plaintiffs cite bladder cancer as their reason for filing suit. They are accusing Takeda of knowing that the drug caused bladder cancer based on tests on animals, which showed signs of bladder cancer when Actos was administered. Although this was allegedly already known by Takeda, they did apparently nothing to warn plaintiffs about the risk, instead continuing to market the drug. Only in June of 2011 did the Food and Drug Administration release the results of a study that seemed to point to the fact that taking Actos for over a year did, in fact, increase a patient’s chances of getting Actos bladder cancer.

There are such a significant number of cases that have been filed surrounding Actos that plaintiffs have petitioned the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate the cases into multidistrict litigation by Actos lawyer.

Bladder Cancer is Acknowledged as Main Actos Side Effect

Actos was first presented as a safer alternative to Avandia as a type 2 diabetes treatment. In recent years though, information has come to light that has thrown that assumption into question. Early data from an on-going 10 year study of Actos side effects conducted by Takeda Pharmaceuticals has suggested that users of the diabetes drug may face an increased risk of cancer when the medication is taken for more than a year. According to a separate five-year data from the study, which involves 193,099 patients with data, patient taking the drug for 12 months or longer had a 40% increased risk of developing Actos bladder cancer. The risk increased with both dose size and duration of treatment.