A Florida man’s partial toe amputation and eventual death may have been caused by the use of the popular diabetes medication Invokana, a new lawsuit alleges.

According to the estate’s representative Camillo B., Florida resident Michael B. allegedly he began taking Invokana at the direction of his doctor in March 2015 in order to treat diabetes by reducing his blood sugar. While the medication is advertised as safe and effective, the plaintiff claims it is actually associated with some serious complications. Camillo believes the cause of the partial toe amputation, however, may have been Michael’s use of this drug.

According to the lawsuit, Invokana can cause a slew of serious side effects, including heart attack, stroke, renal failure, kidney injury, diabetic ketoacidosis, and amputations.

Indeed, Michael allegedly suffered from side effects of Invokana just a few weeks after beginning treatment with the medication. The Invokana lawsuit says that on April 29, 2015, he suffered a partial toe amputation on his left foot. This was bad enough but unfortunately, his injuries didn’t stop there. On Jan. 27, 2016, Michael allegedly suffered from another partial toe amputation of a different toe on his left foot, and on May 5, 2016, yet another partial toe amputation on his left foot.

Having already suffered partial toe amputation of three different toes, on June 11, 2016, Michael suffered from metabolic acidosis, respiratory failure, lactic acidosis, and cardiac arrest, the lawsuit claims. Camillo says that the next day, June 12, 2016, Michael died because of these injuries. According to the lawsuit, these injuries and his subsequent death was a direct result of treatment with Invokana.

Michael’s partial toe amputation and wrongful death lawsuit was filed on his behalf by those he left behind, alleging that he had not been adequately warned of the risks associated with Invokana, including partial toe amputation, cardiac arrest, and more. Had he been given such a warning, he would have chosen a safer alternative and avoided these risks altogether, the lawsuit alleges.

The Invokana lawsuit was filed on May 11, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and was filed on multiple counts, including manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud, and several others.

Basics of Invokana

Invokana (also known by its generic name, canagliflozin metformin) is a popular type-2 diabetes medication, part of a class of type-2 diabetes drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Other drugs belonging to the class include Invokamet and Invokamet XR.

Despite its widespread use, Invokana has been connected with a few severe side effects, some of which have prompted warnings from the FDA. In 2015, the FDA released a safety announcement regarding the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis and kidney failure. Recently, the FDA released another safety announcement regarding heightened Invokana amputation risk that patients taking this drug may face.

Filing an Invokana Amputation Lawsuit

Lawsuits allege that the manufacturer either knew or should have known about the connection between Invokana and the risk of amputation, but failed to give adequate warning to the public and the medical community about these problems.

If you or someone you love has suffered from serious side effects after taking Invokana or a similar SGLT2 inhibitor, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Though filing a lawsuit cannot take away a patient’s pain and suffering, or bring a loved one back to life, it may help to alleviate the financial burden incurred through medical bills and lost wages.

The Partial Toe Amputation Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-09147-BRM-LHG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.