Type-2 diabetes medication Actos has allegedly caused thousands of individuals to develop bladder cancer. This Actos side effect alone has led to countless of bladder cancer lawsuits against the manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals. However, in addition to bladder cancer, Actos may cause fatal heart side effects as well.

The FDA issued a drug warning back in 2007, stating that Actos users have a higher chance of having a heart problem than non-Actos users. It was suggested that Actos users have a 30 percent higher chance of having a heart attack than users of other type-2 diabetes medications.

Known heart Actos side effects may include congestive heart failure or heart attacks. Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart becomes weak due to the fact that something, in this case Actos, causes the heart to “work harder.” Congestive heart failure may be fatal if not treated. A heart transplant may be required to resolve this deadly Actos side effect. It is possible that Takeda may face Actos heart failure lawsuits in addition to the current Actos bladder cancer litigation. 

Actos Bladder Cancer Risks

Knowledge of Actos bladder cancer became more widespread after the FDA issued an announcement in 2011 stating that Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ type-2 diabetes medication increased the risk of developing bladder cancer. According to some Actos research studies, patients who used the drug for more than one year had a 40 percent increased risk of developing Actos bladder cancer. This risk allegedly  increased for patients who used Actos for even longer periods of time.

As type-2 diabetes is a life-long condition that cannot be fully cured, many users depended on the drug for over 12 months.

Prior to the FDA announcement, many European countries already banned Actos use due to the bladder cancer side effects.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals has been accused of being aware of Actos bladder cancer for years, reportedly since 2004, and allegedly failed mention this risk on the drug’s warning label. 

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Settlement

Over the past few years, thousands of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits have been filed against Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Recently, the company offered to pay a $2.2 billion settlement to over 8,000 plaintiffs of these Actos bladder cancer lawsuits. This would result in roughly $275,000 per case. With the number of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits and Actos class action lawsuits growing, many expected a settlement offer to be brought to the plaintiffs by Takeda. However, this Actos settlement has not been finalized at this point in time.

3,500 Actos bladder cancer lawsuits are pending in a district court in Louisiana. Another 4,5000 cases are pending in multiple states venues. 

Though the Actos bladder cancer settlement offer seems large, it is actually quite small when compared to the estimated cost of paying for each verdict individually. Already, Takeda Pharmaceuticals has lost 5 verdicts. One of these verdicts originally stated that the drug maker would have to pay $9 billion. While eventually reduced to $36.8 million, this is a good sign of the importance of the Actos settlement offer to Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

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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