An Illinois couple recently filed a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals after one plaintiff allegedly suffered an Invokana toe amputation.

The plaintiff, Christine A., says she was prescribed Invokana in June 2015 to treat her type-2 diabetes by reducing her blood sugar. Unfortunately, just a short while after beginning treatment with Invokana, Christine says she suffered from a Invokana toe amputation of the tip of her small toe on her right foot.

Months later, in September 2015, Christine says she suffered another Invokana toe amputation on that same toe, this time up through the distal aspect of the toe.

According to her lawsuit, Christine was not adequately warned about the risk of Invokana toe amputation associated with the diabetes medication. Her lawsuit was filed on June 5, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including strict liability, manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud, and several others. Christine’s husband Gregory also filed on one count of loss of consortium.

Basics of Invokana

Invokana (also known by its generic name, canagliflozin metformin) is a popular type-2 diabetes medication, which works by ridding the bloodstream of excess glucose and lowering glucose production, ultimately lowering blood sugar levels. Invokana is part of a class of type-2 diabetes drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Other drugs belonging to the class include Invokamet and Invokamet XR.

Invokana is manufactured by Janssen, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. Invokana is a relatively new drug, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2013. Since its approval, Invokana has become one of the more popular diabetes drugs available.

Despite its widespread use, Invokana has been connected with a few severe side effects, some of which have prompted warnings from the FDA. The risk of Invokana toe amputation wasn’t added to the drug’s warning label until July 2017.

Invokana Amputation Risk

Invokana users have reported a number of serious Invokana side effects, including Invokana and amputation risk (toe, foot, knee, or leg). Symptoms like pain, ulcers, or infections in the legs or feet may lead to lower limb amputation.

The FDA released a safety announcement in May 2017 updating its information about the link between Invokana and amputation risk. The safety warning read, in part: “Based on new data from two large clinical trials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that the type 2 diabetes medicine canagliflozin (Invokana, Invokamet, Invokamet XR) causes an increased risk of leg and foot amputations.”

Filing an Invokana Toe Amputation Lawsuit

Lawsuits allege that the manufacturer either knew or should have known about the connection between Invokana and amputation risk, but failed to give adequate warning to the public and the medical community about these problems.

If you or someone you love has suffered from serious side effects after taking Invokana or a similar SGLT2 inhibitor, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Though filing a lawsuit cannot take away a patient’s pain and suffering, it may help to alleviate the financial burden incurred through medical bills and lost wages.

The Invokana Toe Amputation Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-10186-BRM-LHG, in the U.S. District for the District of New Jersey.