Johnson & Johnson is facing a new Invokana diabetic ketoacidosis lawsuit from a Georgia woman alleging the type-2 diabetes drug had compounded her medical condition. According to her Invokana diabetic ketoacidosis lawsuit, the medication caused her to develop a deadly condition that eliminates many other treatment options.

Plaintiff Nefertiria P. had filed the Invokana diabetic ketoacidosis lawsuit soon after developing the condition and discovering her medication could be linked to the development of diabetic ketoacidosis. According to her Invokana diabetic ketoacidosis lawsuit, she began taking Invokana in December 2014 after discussing different treatment options with her doctor.

Along with diet and exercise, Invokana was supposed to help Nefertiria live a relatively uninterrupted life. During all times relevant, Nefertiria says she had only used the drug for its intended purpose and did not deviate from prescription instructions.

In addition, Nefertiria had followed all the advice from her physician. Even though Invokana has been used by millions of patients to treat their type-2 diabetes, there have been numerous alleged cases of Invokana-induced diabetic ketoacidosis.

The Invokana diabetic ketoacidosis lawsuit states it just took seven months for Neferitiria to develop the condition, in which she was admitted to the hospital on July 16, 2015. When she was ultimately diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis was when she learned Invokana and other drugs in its medication class were linked to this condition.

Overview of Invokana Diabetic Ketoacidosis Link

Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when the body becomes unable to produce adequate insulin, which causes the blood to become acidic. Without sufficient insulin the body becomes unable to metabolize sugar instead of fat, which causes the buildup of ketones.

This overload of ketones can lead to potential kidney damage or failure, with the absence of insulin isolating many type-2 diabetes medications that require insulin to work. Even though this is a potentially dangerous side effect, Johnson & Johnson allegedly failed to warn against this condition.

The FDA officially warned against potential Invokana ketoacidosis on May 15, 2015, when the agency warned that SGLT2 inhibitors may be linked to ketoacidosis and kidney failure. SGLT2 inhibitors work by making the kidneys expel excess sugar through urination, an effect that has allegedly led to the drug being linked to kidney failure.

The public warning came after the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) found 20 cases of diabetic ketoacidosis and similar conditions, each of which were allegedly caused by Invokana or other SGLT2 inhibitors. Each of these cases required hospitalization, and were documented to have taken place between March 2013 and June 6, 2014.

The agency ultimately warned prescribing physicians that they should consider other medications, and determine whether or not SGLT2 inhibitors are good fit for the patient. Even though this FDA warning helped prevent future injuries, it does not help patients who already developed diabetic ketoacidosis.

Nefertiria claims that she never would have agreed to take the medication if she had known the dangers associated with it. She is filing her Invokana diabetic ketoacidosis lawsuit as part of multidistrict litigation (MDL) No. 2750, where it will stand alongside other claims with similar allegations.

This Invokana Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-05105-BRM-LHG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.