Takeda Pharmaceuticals is facing a new Actos drug lawsuit alleging the company failed to warn patients about the potential side effects of their medication. The plaintiff alleges he developed bladder cancer as a direct result of being exposed to Actos.

Plaintiff Anthony A. says he was prescribed Actos in 2010 for typical treatment purposes, which was supposed to help manage his type-2 diabetes symptoms along with diet and exercise.

Actos (pioglitazone) is parts of the glitazone drug family, which work by helping the body lower its blood sugar levels and increase insulin sensitivity. By controlling blood sugar levels and ensuring healthy insulin levels, serious complications like kidney failure and diabetic ketoacidosis can be prevented. However, there have been serious concerns regarding the drug’s alleged correlation with bladder cancer.

The FDA warned in 2016 that Actos could increase the risk of bladder cancer, updating the agency’s previous warning in June 2011. The FDA issued the 2016 warning after reviewing the interim results of a 10 year study, which was required by the agency back in 2011.

The Actos drug lawsuit alleges Anthony was unaware of these warnings when he was first prescribed the drug and up until his prescription ended in 2017. Anthony was reportedly diagnosed with bladder cancer on Feb. 24, 2016, and he says he has been contending with the disease ever since.

Overview of Actos Bladder Cancer Correlation

The Actos bladder cancer study was reviewed at the five year mark of the its 10 year course. Researchers reportedly found that Actos patients faced an increased risk of bladder cancer if they were exposed to the drug for over one year or were given a high dose prescription.

The final results of the study were recently released, showing that 186 out of 34,181 patients had developed bladder cancer after being exposed to the drug at some point. This was compared to 1075 patients out of 158,918 patients who developed bladder cancer without being exposed to Actos.

Another study reportedly found similar results, with 54 patients out of 10,951 having developed bladder cancer after being prescribed Actos. Both studies found that the longer the duration of the Actos prescription, the higher the likelihood of bladder cancer development.

These studies had spurred the FDA to make the 2016 announcement, stating that Actos “may be associated with an increased risk in urinary bladder cancer, and we have updated the drug labels to include information about these additional studies.”

Even though these complications can be devastating to patients, Takeda Pharmaceuticals allegedly failed to warn Anthony. At all times relevant, Anthony says he and his physician had been relying on the marketing materials and product information provided by Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Anthony is seeking a multitude of damages in his Actos drug lawsuit including counts of negligence and failure to warn, as well as past and future medical damages for his bladder cancer.

This Actos Lawsuit is Case No. 1:19-cv-00799-LDH-RLM, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern New York.