A class action investigation has been launched against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, after patient injury reports indicated a correlation between bladder cancer and diabetes medication Actos.

This investigation was launched after the FDA recently discovered a potential correlation between bladder cancer and diabetes medication Actos; they announced it in 2016.

The FDA stated that bladder cancer and diabetes medication, Actos, may have a connection and patients should be wary when taking the drug. The FDA made this announcement after updating its review of published research regarding bladder cancer and diabetes medication correlation, which came from early results of a 10 year study.

The FDA stated that Actos “may be associated with an increased risk in urinary bladder cancer, and we have updated the drug labels to include information about these additional studies.”

Actos Safety Study

The 10 year study consisted of type-2 diabetes patients from the database of Kaiser Permanente of Northern California. The FDA reportedly reviewed these results at the five year mark of the study, which reportedly showed an increased risk of bladder cancer for those taking diabetes medication.

Several other studies also observed the alleged correlation between bladder cancer and diabetes medication, Actos, including one study published in BMJ. This study had reportedly found a 63 percent higher risk of bladder cancer in correlation with pioglitazone use.

The FDA is adding this information to the Actos warning label, which had previously received a warning for bladder cancer in 2011. The new warning label also advises physicians not to prescribe Actos or other pioglitazone medications to patients with pre-existing bladder cancer, or to patients who have a history of cancer in general.

The FDA stated that it will include information about additional studies on the drug’s warning label.

Overview of Actos Bladder Cancer Concern

Actos is a type-2 diabetes treatment medication that is regularly prescribed to adult patients. The drug is meant to help regulate blood sugar levels, decreasing the level of blood sugar by decreasing insulin resistance.

Actos also works to reduce the amount of glucose produced in the liver. This allows the body to filter out excess blood sugar, which prevents blood sugar levels from getting too high.

Along with balancing blood sugar levels, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine indicated that the medication reduces the risk of recurrent stroke and myocardial infarction in insulin resistant patients.

However, it has been reported that Actos patients may also be prone to weight gain, edema, and bone fractures. The FDA noted that more information regarding Actos side effects is available on the agency’s website.

While this information is now available to the public, this does not help current Actos patients that may be at risk for bladder cancer and diabetes medication complications.

To note, Takeda Pharmaceuticals previously agreed to pay $2.4 billion in 2015 towards an Actos settlement, which had consisted of 9,000 product liability claims at the time.  If you are a current Actos user and suffered injury from the medication, you may have a legal claim.