A new lawsuit has been added to the ever-growing litigation piling up over the popular diabetes medicine Invokana, which allegedly has certain very serious side effects.

The Iowa plaintiff, Angela G., says she began taking the diabetes medicine Invokana at the direction of her doctor in July 2015 to treat her diabetes. She continued using it for about a year, until July 2016. However, sometime after she began taking Invokana, Angela alleges she began experiencing serious side effects.

According to Angela’s lawsuit, the diabetes medicine Invokana may lead to complications far more serious than patients were initially warned about, which may be long-lasting or even permanent. The lawsuit claims that Angela suffered from diabetic ketoacidosis as a direct result of taking Invokana.

Angela argues in the lawsuit that Janssen either knew or should have known that its diabetes medicine Invokana carried with it a substantial risk of diabetic ketoacidosis and other serious injuries, and that its makers had a responsibility to give adequate warning about these risks, but ultimately failed to do so.

Angela filed her Invokana lawsuit on Dec. 1 in the U.S District Court for the District of New Jersey. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including manufacturing defect, defective design, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and fraud, among several others.

Background of Invokana

The diabetes medication Invokana (also known by its generic name canagliflozin) was first introduced to the drug market in 2013 to treat diabetes and is manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Janssen is a prominent subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

Invokana is one of several diabetes drugs belonging to a group known as sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. These SGLT2 inhibitors, Invokana included, were introduced in the last several years, and are becoming more and more popular as time goes by.

Although these drugs are prescribed frequently, patients have reported a slew of serious canagliflozin side effects to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after using the diabetes medicine Invokana.

The FDA recently required Janssen to add more warnings to the Invokana label. But this recent Invokana lawsuit and others like it allege that Janssen knew about these risks but failed to warn about them, instead actively concealing potential canagliflozin side effects from both the public and the medical community.

Canagliflozin Side Effects

The diabetes medicine Invokana and other similar drugs have been linked with a number of canagliflozin side effects, including diabetic ketoacidosis and heart attack.

Invokana has been linked with a number of complications, including, but not limited to:

• Dehydration (dizziness, lightheadedness)
• Vaginal yeast infection
• Yeast infection of the penis
• Low blood sugar
• Serious allergic reaction
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Kidney failure

Filing a Lawsuit Over Canagliflozin Side Effects

Lawsuits filed over side effects from the diabetes medicine Invokana claim that the drug’s manufacturers knew about the risks, but failed to adequately warn about these complications and their severity.

If you or someone you love has suffered due to severe canagliflozin side effects like kidney injury after taking the diabetes medicine Invokana, you may be able to file a lawsuit. While filing a lawsuit cannot reverse the side effects of Invokana, pursuing a lawsuit can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Canagliflozin Side Effects Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-12331-BRM-LHG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.