Study: Metformin Safer Than Actos for Bladder Cancer Risk

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Type-2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases in the United States, and bladder cancer is a potential risk that may be associated with diabetes. The diabetes drug Actos, from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, is one of the many treatment options available for diabetes patients, but it may actually increase the bladder cancer risk.

Of the many drugs available for treatment, one drug, metformin, was hoped to help prevent this cancer risk. However, in a study published in February in the medical journal Diabetes Care, “researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center found that patients taking Metformin or drugs from a class known as sulfonylureas, like Dymelor and Orinase, did not see a reduction in the rate of bladder cancer.” The study arose amid continuing concerns about the link between bladder cancer and Actos, a competing diabetes drug.

While all diabetes patients may face a slight increase in the risk of bladder cancer, several studies have suggested that long-term Actos users face an increased risk.

“Concerns surfaced in September 2010, after interim data from an on-going 10 year study found that users of Actos may face an increased risk the longer the medication is used. Several European countries instituted an Actos recall after a review of insurance data also found the same increased rates of bladder cancer, and increased warnings were required in the United States,” according to the journal.

In the federal court system, Actos lawsuits have been centralized before one judge in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) or Mass Tort, which is similar to an Actos class action lawsuit. The first bellwether trial is currently underway to “help the parties gauge how juries are likely to respond to certain evidence and testimony that may be repeated throughout other cases.” Lawyers involved in the Actos lawsuits are watching this case closely as it may aid in negotiations for Actos settlements for users diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals currently faces about 3,000 Actos bladder cancer lawsuits filed on behalf of former users who state that the drug maker knew or should have known about the potential risks and withheld information.

File an Actos Bladder Cancer Class Action Lawsuit Claim

If you or someone you know took Actos and was diagnosed with bladder cancer, legal options are available. See if you qualify to join a free Actos class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation for you or your loved one’s injuries:

Oops! We could not locate your form.