By Chattanooga Personal Injury Attorney on March 19, 2012 -
According to Bloomberg.com, the judge who is overseeing the lawsuits regarding Actos, the medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes, and the potential risk of bladder cancer for patients has appointed 19 plaintiffs’ lawyers to manage litigation involving U.S. claims. The federal lawsuits against the diabetes drug manufacturer Takeda were consolidated before U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty in Lafayette, Louisiana, in December 2011, and the court’s filings note that the first hearing in the case is set for March 22. Attorneys for both lead counsel and a steering committee have been selected.
Takeda, which is Asia’s biggest drug maker, faces up to 10,000 claims that the diabetes medicine Actos causes bladder cancer after U.S. regulators determined that the drug is linked to the disease. A review conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of an ongoing epidemiological study concluded that patients taking the drug for more than one year may have an increased risk of bladder cancer. In addition to the lawsuit claiming patients face an increased cancer risk, plaintiffs also claim that Takeda and co-defendant Eli Lily & Co., based in Indianapolis, withheld information about the cancer risk and failed to provide adequate warnings.
Manufacturers of drugs have the responsibility to protect patients by thoroughly testing medications for potentially harmful side effects and disclosing the information to the public. Unfortunately, dangerous side effects are often not caught until a patient using the drug becomes ill or is harmed. If you have suffered adverse reactions from taking Actos, the dedicated Tennessee Actos injury lawyers with Massey & Associates, P.C. can help you receive the compensation you deserve from any negligent parties. Call our offices at (423)697-4529 to schedule a free consultation regarding your case.
By Chattanooga Personal Injury Attorney on August 10, 2011 -
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released data from an ongoing safety review indicating a link between the long-term use of the diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone), manufactured by Takeda, and a heightened possibility of suffering bladder cancer. The Warnings and Precautions label for pioglitazone-containing drugs will now be required to have information about this potential danger. In addition, the patient Medication Guide for these drugs will also be updated to include information on bladder cancer risks.
Results from a premeditated five-year interim analysis of a continuous, ten-year epidemiological study of pioglitazone revealed no overall heightened risk of bladder cancer. However, an increased risk of bladder cancer was detected in patients with the longest exposure to pioglitazone, and in those exposed to the highest collective dose of pioglitazone.
Recently, an epidemiological study in France found an increased risk of bladder cancer with the use of pioglitazone, causing the country to suspend the use of the diabetes medication. Moreover, Germany has suggested that new patients do not start taking pioglitazone.
About 2.3 million patients filled a prescription for a product containing pioglitazone from January 2010 through October 2010 in the United States. Although diabetes is a serious medical condition, the potential risk of bladder cancer for those who may have taken the drug for more than a year may outweigh the benefits of blood sugar control with this drug. Per 100,000 individuals, 20 per year in the U.S. are estimated to have bladder cancer, with the estimates believed to be greater for persons with diabetes.
Drug manufacturers are responsible for providing consumers with medications that are properly labeled, free of contaminants, and will not cause harm. If a consumer suffers serious injury, illness, or death from taking a medication, the drug manufacturer may be held accountable. Tennessee Actos bladder cancer attorney Gary Massey of the law firm Massey & Associates, P.C. is available to answer any questions you may have about Actos or other medications containing pioglitazone. Mr. Massey has the legal experience and resources to handle mass tort cases as well as individual personal injury and product liability cases. Call 423-697-4529 for more information.
