Johnson & Johnson is facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL), consisting of product liability claims from patients alleging serious Invokana side effects like diabetic leg amputation.

One of the most recent claims comes from a man from Ohio, alleging he had to undergo diabetic leg amputation and other aggressive treatments as a result of an Invokana drug failure.

Plaintiff Victor P. alleges that it was either the ineffectiveness of the drug or unknown drug complications that forced him to undergo leg amputation. Like millions of other patients suffering from type-2 diabetes, Victor was prescribed Invokana (canagliflozin) in September 2015 and was supposed to use it in conjunction with diet and exercise.

Victor says he agreed to take Invokana after discussing the decision with his physician. Victor’s physician had recommended Invokana after reviewing the company’s advertisements, which explained the drug’s unique treatment mechanism.

Invokana is apart of the SGLT2 inhibitor drug family, which works by limiting the amount of glucose absorbed in the body and expels excess sugar through urination. With these benefits in mind, Victor says he used Invokana according to prescription instructions and physician’s advice.

Even with this diligence, Victor alleges he still developed serious drug side effects including diabetic leg amputation on March 29, 2017. Victor reportedly had to undergo diabetic leg amputation below his knee on his right side.

Victor alleges he opted to file legal action against Johnson & Johnson, soon after discovering Invokana and other canagliflozin medications were linked to incidents of diabetic leg amputation.

Overview of Invokana Diabetic Leg Amputation

Diabetic leg amputation is a serious complication that is caused by nerve damage and swelling due to the effects of type-2 diabetes. Medications like Invokana are supposed to prevent this swelling and nerve damage from occurring and lower the risk of diabetes leg amputation as much as possible.

However, it has recently been alleged that the risk of diabetic leg amputation is increased with canagliflozin medications. The FDA warned against this correlation on May 16, 2017, with the agency stating that diabetic leg amputation or foot amputation was higher in frequency with canagliflozin patients compared to other medications.

“Based on new data from two large clinical trials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that the type 2 diabetes medicine canagliflozin (Invokana, Invokamet, Invokamet XR) causes an increased risk of leg and foot amputations. We are requiring new warnings, including our most prominent Boxed Warning, to be added to the canagliflozin drug labels to describe this risk,” the FDA stated.

Victor’s Invokana lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2750, consisting of other product liability claims alleging similar injuries like diabetic leg amputation. By joining an MDL, Victor’s claim will be streamlined through the litigation process and will avoid potential problems conflicting rulings from different judges.

It is important to note that Victor had other type-2 diabetes treatment medications to choose from, which are not associated with serious side effects. Victor states that he would not have agreed to take Invokana, if he had been aware of the increased risk of diabetic leg amputation.

This Invokana Diabetic Leg Ampuptation Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-04025-BRM-LHG, in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey.