Widow Sues Takeda Claiming Actos Caused Husband’s Bladder Cancer Death

Charlotte Calvert has joined multidistrict litigation against the manufacturers of the diabetes drug Actos, alleging that the drug caused her late husband’s death from bladder cancer.

Gerald Calvert began taking Actos in 2003, and continued to take it through 2007. The drug is intended to help regulate blood sugar levels. In 2008, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which killed him in 2012. The lawsuit contends that Actos caused Gerald Calvert to develop bladder cancer, and that the manufacturers did not do enough to prevent this.

The lawsuit asserts that the manufacturers were aware – or reasonably should have been aware – of the risks associated with the drug. The text of the lawsuit asserts that the pre-clinical studies indicated that Actos could cause bladder cancer, prior to the market’s North American debut and FDA approval. The suit also states that human trials in the early 2000s provided additional evidence of the risk of bladder cancer associated with the drug.

The lawsuit further alleges that not only were the manufacturers aware of the risk, but they actively concealed the risk, preventing patients like Gerald Calvert and health care workers, preventing people from having the information they needed to make informed medical decisions. The lawsuit cites the fact that even as various countries started to ban or recall Actos, the company continued to do business in the United States. The lawsuit also asserts that Gerald Calvert would have never taken the drug had he been aware of the risk of developing cancer from it.

Calvert’s lawsuit joins others in multidistrict litigation against the manufacturers of Actos. Multidistrict litigation is a form of group lawsuit, where a number of plaintiffs allege that the same defendant caused them all similar harm. MDLs are similar to class action lawsuits, except that in MDLs, each plaintiff has their own lawyer or team of lawyers while in a class action lawsuit, all of the injured parties are represented by the same legal team.

The case is Charlotte Calvert, Surviving Spouse of Gerald Bert Calvert, Deceased, et al vs. Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Incorporated et al, Case No. 6:13-cv-02730-RFD-PJH, within the MDL In Re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2299, filed in Western District Court of Louisiana.

If you or a loved one suffered personal injury, wrongful death, or loss of consortium after taking Actos, you’ve almost certainly found yourself facing a serious situation. Bladder cancer, a cancer that has been linked to taking Actos, is a serious form of cancer, and can lead to painful, often terminal illness. This kind of situation can cause serious stress, and generate substantial financial burdens, like medical costs, lost wages, lost income potential, and final expenses. When faced with such a challenge, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed or depressed. But you must remember that you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain a measure of control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Actos Bladder Cancer Class Action Lawsuit Investigation and obtaining a free review of your case.

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