A new lawsuit alleges a patient developed diabetic ketoacidosis among several Invokana adverse effects.

Invokana is a drug in a class known as SGLT2 inhibitors, which regulate blood sugar levels by moving excess glucose from the blood to the urine. The medication is made by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

Plaintiff Danny N. says he began taking Invokana around March 9, 2017 to treat his type-2 diabetes. On May 11, 2017, Danny was diagnosed with acute kidney injury, requiring hospitalization and continuous treatment.

According to the diabetic ketoacidosis lawsuit, Janssen Pharmaceuticals “should have known the risks associated with the use of Invokana, including the risk of developing severe kidney injuries, including renal failure diabetic ketoacidosis.”

Invokana Adverse Effects Include Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Overall, ketoacidosis is a rare condition for type-2 diabetics. Patients with type-1 diabetes experience an inability to metabolize glucose for fuel, which means a large amount of sugar is expelled through the kidneys. This process leads the body to use fat instead of sugar for fuel.

Metabolizing fat can create an excess of substances known as ketones, which can put the patient at risk for ketoacidosis. The same thing may happen when type-2 diabetics take Invokana.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is difficult to diagnose in those taking Invokana because of the lack of early symptoms. Most ketoacidosis cases caused by Invokana are absent the frequent urination and elevated blood sugar levels found in type-1 diabetics experiencing ketoacidosis. The absence of early onset of symptoms leads to a later diagnosis, which can result in more serious injuries, including complete kidney failure.

In May 2015, the FDA sent a Public Health Advisory regarding the link between SGLT2 inhibitors such as Invokana and diabetic ketoacidosis.

The FDA updated Invokana’s warning label to indicate the drug could cause too much acid to build up in the blood, leading to ketoacidosis, and also could cause serious urinary tract infections that could worsen by becoming kidney infections.

“An analysis of the FDA adverse event database shows that patients taking Invokana are several times more likely to report diabetic ketoacidosis, and acute kidney injury, including renal failure, than those taking other diabetes drugs to treat high blood glucose,” says Danny’s diabetic ketoacidosis complaint.

The Invokana adverse effects lawsuit says that Janssen conducted clinical trials that indicted the drug causes or increases the risks of renal failure. Instead of making these risks known, Janssen allegedly defended the drug’s track record, misled doctors and patients, and minimized unfavorable outcomes.

Danny says he would have never taken Invokana if he had known the risks of Invokana adverse effects on his kidneys.

The diabetic ketoacidosis complaint says that the Invokana Danny took was in an unsafe, defective, and inherently dangerous condition” that led to Danny’s injuries.

The Diabetic Ketoacidosis Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-11516-BRM-LHG in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.