Johnson & Johnson is facing a new Invokana lawsuit from a married couple alleging the husband developed serious kidney damage as a direct result of using the medication. The couple claims that the company failed to warn them against Invokana dangers, and that they never would have opted for the medication if they had known of the potential complications.

Alabama plaintiff couple Lee S. and Mary S. are jointly filing this Invokana lawsuit, alleging Lee had suffered chronic health problems soon after being prescribed the medication. In order to treat his type-2 diabetes symptoms, Lee was prescribed Invokana on Feb. 6, 2015, and had taken the medication according to his prescription instructions and physician’s recommendations.

At no point in time did Lee use Invokana outside its intended purposes and he had no reason to be vigilant for serious complications like kidney damage, the lawsuit states. Lee alleges as a direct result of the undisclosed Invokana dangers he suffered a myocardial infarction and kidney damage.

It is important to note that the Invokana warning label lacked any language to indicate cardiac complications or kidney injury risk, the lawsuit points out. At the time he was prescribed Invokana, Lee had hoped the medication would help his diabetic symptoms by regulating his blood sugar levels. However, Lee’s medical condition has been compounded as an alleged result of Invokana.

Johnson & Johnson has marketed Invokana as a safe and effective option to treat type-2 diabetes, and reportedly did not mention the possibilities of Invokana dangers like kidney damage and cardiac complications.

Overview of Invokana Dangers

Invokana was approved by the FDA in March 2013 to be a new treatment method for type-2 diabetes patients.

This medication is a part of the sodium-glucose contransporter 2 (SGLT2) group, which works by signaling the kidneys to remove excess sugar through urination. Even though this medication quickly gained blockbuster status, the concern of Invokana dangers became known in the medical community.

According to the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), there were 20 cases of diabetic ketoacidosis in patients prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors between March 2013 and June 6, 2014. Each of these patients required hospitalization to treat the ketoacidosis, with some  patients experiencing chronic kidney damage.

Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when the blood becomes very acidic due to the build up of ketones, or blood acids, which occurs due to the body being unable to metabolize insulin and instead breaks down fat. This condition can lead to total kidney failure, long term kidney damage, and other long term complications.

The FDA has released an official warning pertaining to diabetic ketoacidosis in correlation with SGLT2 inhibitors, initiating major concern among patients and the medical community. Cardiac complications have also been associated with Invokana dangers, as patients reported suffering heart-related episodes.

Even though these Invokana dangers could be potentially fatal, Johnson & Johnson allegedly failed to warn patients against these possibilities. Lee and Mary are seeking compensation for all medical expenses, along with multiple counts of negligence and failure to warn.

This Invokana lawsuit is Lee S. and Mary S. v. Johnson & Johnson, Case No. 1:17-cv-00071-GMB, in the U.S. District Court of Middle Alabama.