Actos Overview
Actos (also known by its generic name, pioglitazone) is a type-2 diabetes drug manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals that is used to help control high blood sugar in diabetes patients.
Actos is part of a class of drugs known as thiazolidinedione-type, or “glitazones.” Actosand other diabetes drugs of its type work to restore the body’s response to insulin, lowering the patient’s blood sugar levels.
For diabetes patients, tempering high blood sugar can help prevent serious issues like kidney damage, blindness, nerve problems, loss of limbs, sexual dysfunction, and more.
Actos was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1999, and has become a source of billions of dollars in sales per year, accounting for nearly 25 percent of Takeda’s annual revenue.
What Are the Side Effects of Actos?
Side effects of Actos may include a number of serious risks, including bone fracture risks, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and macular edema. Actos has also been linked with an increased risk of developing bladder cancer.
In fact, the FDA released a safety announcement in 2016 following an updated review that concluded that pioglitazone drugs like Actos may be linked with an increased risk of bladder cancer. While Actos and similar previously included warnings of this risk, the labels were updated to describe information from the new review.
According to studies, the risk is heightened when patients take higher dosages or take the drug for longer periods of time.
What Is Bladder Cancer?
Bladder cancer is a disease affecting the urinary bladder that begins when bladder cells start growing out of control. As more cancer cells develop, they can create a tumor, and eventually spread to other parts of the body as well.
There are a number of types of bladder cancer, including urothelial carcinoma (transitional cell carcinoma), squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and sarcoma.
Urothelial carcinoma is the most common of these types by far. This cancer begins in the lining of the inside of the bladder, known as urothelial cells. Because urothelial cells also line other parts of the urinary tract, like the kidney, the ureters, and the urethra, bladder cancer patients sometimes develop tumors in these places as well.
Urothelial cells also line other parts of the urinary tract, like the kidney, the ureters, and the urethra, bladder cancer patients sometimes develop tumors in these places as well.
Filing an Actos Lawsuit
So far, more than 10,000 lawsuits have been filed by users of Actos alleging serious injuries. Many of the Actos lawsuits brought against Takeda were settled for a total of $2.4 billion back in 2015.
If you or a loved one have suffered because of Actos bladder cancer or other side effects, you may be able to file an Actos lawsuit. While litigation cannot undo the pain and suffering caused by these complications, filing an Actos lawsuit can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.
