An Ohio woman has filed an Invokana defects lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals claiming that she suffered adverse effects because of ingesting Invokana.

Plaintiff Kimberly K. was prescribed and took Invokana for her type 2 diabetes. She claims, that as a result of taking Invokana, she developed two serious conditions: ketoacidosis and kidney failure, according to the Invokana defects lawsuit.

A severe side effect of Invokana is ketoacidosis, a serious medical condition which can require hospitalization. Ketoacidosis can lead to diabetic coma, cerebral edema or death if not properly treated.

When the body does not have enough insulin to properly metabolize fatty acids known as ketones, ketoacidosis occurs.  When ketones build, this can cause the blood’s pH to drop.

The first sings of ketoacidosis often develop quickly and can include:

• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Weakness or fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Fruity-scented breath
• Confusion

Invokana Defects Lawsuit

According to Kimberly’s Invokana defects lawsuit, Invokana is a drug used to treat diabetes and is considered a SGLT2 inhibitor.

SGLT2 inhibitors, like Invokana, prevent the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose so the glucose can be excreted through the urinary tract.

Kimberly, according to her Invokana defects lawsuit, believes that Janssen essentially failed to properly manufacture Invokana.

She alleges that Janssen failed by using faulty manufacturing processes, sub-par raw materials, as well as failing to properly clean and maintain equipment and other manufacturing facilities to ensure no cross-contamination from microbes and cleaning products.

This Invokana defects lawsuit claims that Janssen willfully and intentionally misrepresented the risks of its drug as well as aggressively marketed Invokana to doctors and patients for off-label purposes including weight loss, reduced blood pressure, kidney benefits, cardiovascular benefits and for use in type-1 diabetes.

Kimberly also alleges that Janssen exaggerated the effectiveness of the drug by claiming that it is able to lower glucose and that it has a benefit for non-surrogate measures of health such as reducing adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

The manufacturer, according to the Invokana defects lawsuit, knew or should have known about the risks of diabetic ketoacidosis and kidney failure, both of which Kimberly experienced, based on the data available to them.

The data they had available, Kimberly claims, included animal studies, mechanisms of action, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pre-clinical studies, animal models, genetic models, analogous compounds, adverse event reports, case reports and other sufficient data sources.

Invokana Defects Can Lead to Serious Problems

There are other possible side effects of Invokana beyond ketoacidosis and kidney failure. These include:

• Lactic acidosis
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Kidney stones
• Urinary tract infections
• Coma
• Death

Kimberly brings forth claims of design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breaches of express and implied warranty, gross negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, concert of action and punitive damages.

The Invokana Defects Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-00376-BRM-LHG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.