A Virginia man filed an Actos lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, alleging that the type-2 diabetes drug causes bladder cancer.

Actos is a drug designed to treat type-2 diabetes. It was once among the best-selling drugs in the United States and Europe, until allegations that the diabetes drug could cause bladder cancer came to light, triggering regulatory action and Actos lawsuits.

According to this Actos bladder cancer lawsuit, plaintiff William T. was prescribed the drug in 2009 through 2011, and he took the drug as prescribed by his physicians, in accordance with the packaged drug information.

In 2012, William was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Per his Actos lawsuit, William has suffered a decreased quality of life and still suffers ongoing symptoms from his bladder cancer.

The claims of William’s Actos lawsuit echoes thousands of other Actos bladder cancer lawsuits, which typically allege that there is a substantial body of scientific evidence that Actos can cause bladder cancer, and that Takeda Pharmaceuticals and related companies knew about theses risks and sold the drug anyway.

To back the assertion that Takeda Pharmaceuticals knew — or reasonably should have known — of the risk of bladder cancer associated with Actos, lawsuits typically cite a number of studies that have strongly suggested that Actos can cause bladder cancer.

One example, cited in William’s Actos bladder cancer lawsuit, is a study published in the June 2011 issue of Diabetes Care. In this peer-reviewed research study, researchers mined data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Events Reporting System or AERS, a database of reported drug complications.

In this case, researchers used AERS data from between 2004 and 2009 and performed statistical analysis. This revealed that Actos was, in the words of the study’s authors, a “definite risk” for bladder cancer.

Similar research by the FDA found that Actos was linked to a 40 percent increase in the risk of bladder cancer.

In addition to peer-reviewed research, entire governments have acted over information that Actos could cause bladder cancer. In 2011, a number of governments issued warnings or recalls for Actos, including France, Germany, and the United States based on Actos bladder cancer concerns. William’s Actos bladder cancer lawsuit mentions these incidents.

Actos lawsuits like William’s further allege that not only was Takeda Pharmaceuticals aware of these risks, but that they actively promoted Actos in spite of bladder cancer risks. To back this assertion, this Actos lawsuit cites the fact that Actos was a heavily-promoted, blockbuster drug for Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

In 2013, Actos brought in $4.8 billion dollars for Takeda, roughly 27 percent of the company’s revenue. As late as 2008, Actos was the 10th best-selling drug in the United States.

William’s Actos bladder cancer lawsuit seeks to recoup the cost of his ongoing medical care as well as compensation for pain and suffering, and legal fees allegedly associated with his risk of Actos.

The Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 2801, filed in the Actos MDL In Re: Actos Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2299, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual Actos lawsuit or Actos class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Actos bladder cancer lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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