The diabetes drug Actos, despite its popularity, has unfortunately been linked with a serious risk—bladder cancer. A Florida man recently filed a lawsuit over this connection between Actos and bladder cancer, alleging that the diabetes drug led directly to his diagnosis.

The plaintiff, Gerardo C., says he began taking Actos at the direction of his doctor in 2000 in order to treat his type-2 diabetes. Just a few years later, in August 2014, Gerardo says he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Gerardo alleges that his diagnosis can be explained by a link between Actos and bladder cancer. However, he claims, he was not adequately warned about the risk associated with Actos and bladder cancer. Had he been warned, he would have chosen a safer alternative.

Gerardo filed his Actos and bladder cancer lawsuit in the Superior Court for the State of Delaware. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including strict liability, negligence and breach of express and implied warranties.

Actos and Bladder Cancer

Actos (pioglitazone) is a type-2 diabetes medication manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Takeda, and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1999.

However, the FDA released an announcement in 2016 that the drug has been linked with an increased risk of bladder cancer. According to studies, the risk is heightened when patients take higher dosages or take the drug for longer periods of time.

Because of these studies, the FDA announced 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 and Bladder Cancer Lawsuits

So far, Takeda has been hit with thousands of Actos and bladder cancer lawsuits. Patients allege that the diabetes medication caused them to develop bladder cancer. For some, bladder cancer can be a fatal disease.

According to lawsuits, Takeda knew that their diabetes medication was associated with an increased risk of developing bladder cancer, yet failed to adequately warn patients—along with the medical community and federal regulators—of the risk, ultimately placing patients in serious danger.

A massive $2.4 billion Actos settlement was reached in 2015, allowing Takeda to resolve thousands of claims.

A new Actos bladder cancer class action lawsuit was filed against Takeda and Eli Lilly (who helped market the drug) in May 2018. This new class action lawsuit alleged that Actos was “inefficacious and dangerous,” and that the pharmaceutical companies kept the risks of the medication secret at the expense of their patients’ safety.

According to the lawsuit, the companies “knew that, if the medical community were aware that Actos could cause bladder cancer, it would not have been the blockbuster drug they needed Actos to be.”

If you or someone you love has suffered because of the link between Actos and bladder cancer, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Hiring an Actos lawyer can help you pursue litigation the most effectively.

The Actos and Bladder Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. N18C-08-61-JRJ, in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware.