A collective group of plaintiffs have filed an Actos bladder cancer lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceuticals for the damages they allegedly incurred from their diabetes drug. Each of the plaintiffs claims that their loved ones developed the deadly condition bladder cancer as a direct consequence of using Actos.

Actos was released by Takeda Pharmaceuticals in the American drug market in 1999, after the FDA approved it to be a treatment drug for type-2 diabetes. Due to its aggressive treatment mechanism, Actos is often prescribed as an alternative option for diabetic treatment medications, in the event that first-choice drugs fail.

The Actos medication is a part of a class of insulin-sensitizing diabetes medications called thiazolidinediones (TZDs). These drugs are unique because they only work in the presence of insulin, making them essentially useless against the symptoms of type-1 diabetes. Despite its financial success, numerous injury reports indicate that Actos could cause bladder cancer to occur.

Overview of Actos Bladder Cancer Allegations

It has been recently discovered that Actos may  induce bladder cancer after just one year of use. Bladder cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer a patient can contract and has allegedly led to terminal cancer cases and death for many Actos consumers. In this Actos bladder cancer lawsuit, at least 10 plaintiffs allege that their lives were permanently altered due to Actos complications. Plaintiffs involved in this Actos lawsuit include:

• Texas plaintiff Cheryl A., who is suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals for the wrongful death of her husband, Charles A. Charles was reportedly prescribed Actos in 2002 and stayed on it until 2005, when he died of bladder cancer on Nov. 24.
• Florida plaintiff Shirley D. is suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals for the wrongful death of Dorthea W., after she was prescribed Actos. Dorthea was prescribed Actos in 2002 and stayed on it until 2004. She reportedly died of bladder cancer on Feb. 3, 2006.
• California plaintiff Shawn W., who is suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals for the wrongful death of Michael W., which was allegedly caused by Actos. The decedent was prescribed Actos from 2004 to 2008, but he reportedly died on Oct. 25, 2008.
• Virginia plaintiff Eula S. is suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals on behalf of her deceased husband, Patrick S. Eula claims that in direct result of using Actos from 2007 to 2011, her husband died from bladder cancer on May 26, 2011.
• Texas plaintiff Edith B., who is suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals for the wrongful death of her husband, James B., a death which was allegedly caused by Actos. Edith claims that her husband ‘s Actos prescription from 2007 to 2011 directly caused his bladder cancer death on June 4, 2013.
• California plaintiff Carmelita B. is suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals for the wrongful death of her husband, Donald B., claiming that in direct result of Donald’s Actos prescription from 2004 to 2007, her husband died from bladder cancer on Sept. 27, 2013.
• California plaintiff Jane D. is suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals for the wrongful death of her husband, Jack D. His Actos prescription lasted from 2008 to 2011, and allegedly caused him to develop bladder cancer. Jack ultimately died from this condition on Oct. 14, 2014.

Currently, medical experts are unsure as to why this may be occurring, but agree that it is a significant risk and that patients should be informed. The FDA agrees with this sentiment, which led to the agency publishing an Actos bladder cancer warning on June 15, 2011, stating that using Actos for over a year could increase the risk of bladder cancer. Additionally, the FDA ordered this possible side effect to be added to Actos’ drug label and other pioglitazone-containing medicines’ labels.

The lawyers representing these plaintiffs state that the plaintiffs and decedents were unaware of any risks associated with Actos at the time of each respective prescription, as the defendant made no effort to notify them thereafter. Each of the plaintiffs claim that their loved ones never would have agreed to take Actos if they had known about the possibility of Actos bladder cancer. Furthermore, the plaintiffs claim that Takeda had the responsibility to warn them and their loved ones of all risks associated with Actos, so they could make informed decisions.

The Actos Lawsuit is 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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