Recent research studies and reports from patients who took the diabetes drug Actos have reported concerns over the link between bladder cancer and diabetes medication.

Diabetic patients who have been diagnosed with bladder cancer may be interested in knowing that a number of different patients have come forward regarding the connection between the disease and Actos diabetes medication. The bladder cancer and diabetes medication risk, according to many of these patients, has not been appropriately publicized.

Lawsuits against Actos manufacturer Takeda Pharmaceuticals allege that Takeda was aware of the bladder cancer and diabetes medication connection but failed to disclose this to the medical community or to patients potentially taking the drug.

Those patients who took the type-2 diabetes medication and later developed bladder cancer may be eligible to pursue legal action with the help of an experienced attorney.

Actos and Bladder Cancer Connection

In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration released a notice that there may be a connection between bladder cancer and diabetes medications such as Actos, but warnings popped up years prior.

An early indication regarding bladder cancer and diabetes medications came in June 2011, when the FDA issued a warning that taking Actos for longer than a year could increase a patient’s risk of developing bladder cancer. That finding was a result of information coming out at a five-year mark of a ten-year study.

In 2015, an Actos settlement was approved regarding over 9,000 Actos bladder cancer lawsuits that were pending at that point in time. The lawsuits all said that the manufacturer, Takeda, was aware of the bladder cancer and diabetes medication connection, but failed to notify the federal regulators, physicians or members of the public about the dangers.

Despite accepting that settlement, Takeda continued to argue that Actos wasn’t responsible for bladder cancer development in multiple Actos patients. However, numerous patients around the country have developed bladder cancer after taking their Actos diabetes medication.

What is Actos?

Actos is a top-selling drug for type-2 diabetes treatment. It was initially approved in 1999 by the FDA to help those patients diagnosed with diabetes to control their blood sugar.

The drug has continued to make the defendants money in the billions despite the growing number of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits. Given that any form of cancer diagnosis is an extremely serious matter, someone who learns that they have bladder cancer is likely curious about the cause of the diagnosis. The discovery that Actos medication, even when taken under a doctor’s advisement, can lead to cancer is an unwelcome and serious issue for someone coping with diabetes.

Actos bladder cancer lawsuits allege that the manufacturer should have done more to make people aware of the dangerous risks so that they could have made informed decisions about choosing how to treat their diabetes, and seek recompense for injuries and cancer diagnoses sustained.