A massive group of ninety plaintiffs is suing Janssen Pharmaceuticals, parent company Johnson & Johnson and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., alleging they suffered from severe and permanent injuries caused by Invokana side effects.

All of the plaintiffs in the Invokana side effects lawsuit allege that they suffered from diabetic ketoacidosis, kidney damage or an adverse cardiovascular effect such as heart attack or stroke that was directly related to their ingestion of Invokana.

Invokana is a pharmaceutical drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes in patients.

It is an oral medication that is used to help regulate and stabilize blood sugars of diabetic individuals who are unable to control their blood sugar by diet and exercise alone.

Patients Allege Serious Invokana Side Effects

While some patients have found success with Invokana after repeated unsuccessful attempts with other diabetes medications, others have had severe and life-altering Invokana side effects causing permanent damage.

In addition to the physical injuries the plaintiffs were faced with, they also alleged that further damages arose, including personal and economic injuries that have affected their lives.

“Despite Defendants’ knowledge of the increased risk of severe injury among Invokana users, Defendants did not warn patients, including Plaintiffs, but instead continued to defend Invokana, mislead physicians and the public, and minimize unfavorable findings,” the Invokana side effects lawsuit asserted.

Invokana belongs to a class of drugs known as SGLT2 inhibitors. These drugs work by inhibiting the kidneys from re-absorbing glucose and instead work to have the body excrete additional glucose via the urine, lowering blood glucose in the process.

“As a result, excess glucose is not metabolized, but instead is excreted through the kidneys of the population of consumers already at risk for kidney damage,” the lawsuit states.

In December of last year, the FDA updated the warning label on Invokana to include information about the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis as well as serious urinary tract infections that could lead to severe kidney infections.

The lawsuit alleges that the makers of Invokana knew about the serious risks associated with the use of their product but chose to withhold the information from the public.

The plaintiffs have brought forth a number of counts against the manufacturers of Invokana including strict products liability for design defect and failure to warn, multiple assertions of negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation, negligent design, and fraudulent concealment.

The lawsuit states that other medication options that were available to treat diabetes provided a safer alternative. “Defendants knew of the significant risk of severe injury caused by ingestion of Invokana. However, Defendants did not adequately and sufficiently one consumers, including Plaintiffs, or the medical community and the severity of such risks.”

The lawsuit also states, “The development of Plaintiffs’ injuries was preventable and resulted directly from Defendants’ failure and refusal to conduct proper safety studies, failure to properly assess and publicize alarming safety signals, suppression of information revealing serious and life threatening risks, willful and wanton failure to provide adequate instructions, and willful misrepresentations concerning the nature and safety of Invokana.”

As a result of their injuries, alleged as a result of Invokana side effects, the plaintiffs are seeking punitive damages, compensatory damages, exemplary damages, pre-and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs and any additional relief the Court deems necessary, just and proper.

The Invokana Side Effects Lawsuit is Case No. 1622-CC10192, in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri.