Drug Makers Knew of Actos Bladder Cancer Risk, Lawsuits Say

By Sarah Mirando | August 22, 2012

Category: Pharmaceuticals

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By Matt O’Donnell

An Actos bladder cancer lawsuit has been filed on behalf of four men who claim the diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone) caused their bladder cancer. Their bundled lawsuit joins more than 800 Actos bladder cancer lawsuits consolidated in federal court against drug maker Takeda Pharmaceuticals, its subsidiaries and Eli Lilly, alleging they knew of the drug’s cancer risks but hid this information from the public. Two of the men are joined by their wives in the case.

According to the men’s Actos bladder cancer lawsuit, filed last week in the U.S. District Court of Louisiana, the Defendants willfully misled the men, their doctors and the general public by aggressively marketing Actos as safe, even though the Defendants knew or should have known that Actos was linked to bladder cancer. Their Actos injury lawsuit is seeking compensatory damages from Takeda and Eli Lilly for the pain and suffering they endured. The Court will unbundle the lawsuit and assign each case its own case number, according to their Actos injury attorney.

The Plaintiffs in the case are Alfred and Anne Galliher of Texas, Robert Richardson of Texas, Richard and Kathleen Ann Carlos of Nevada, and John Simmonds of California.

Drug Makers Knew of Actos Bladder Cancer Risk

The men allege in the lawsuit that Takeda and Eli Lilly were aware of scientific data linking Actos (pioglitazone) to bladder cancer before the drug was approved by the FDA in 1999 to treat type 2 diabetes. After approval, the Defendants continued to observe research that “presented a statistically significant demonstrated higher percentage of bladder cancer cases in patients receiving Actos,” the lawsuit claims. Some of this research came from Takeda’s own PROactive study, which found a statistically significant association between the use of Actos and bladder cancer. However, this information was not included in a subsequent 2005 publication by Takeda, and was “grossly downplayed.”

Further evidence that Takeda knew of this risk is that the company received an average of more than 180 cancer reports each year, for a total of 1,183 over a 10-year period, but never included these cancer reports in the drug’s warning label, and never warned the medical community of the risk of developing Actos bladder cancer. Instead, the Defendants continued to aggressively market and promote Actos as safe and effective, the Plaintiff’s Actos injury lawyer stated.

“Takeda Pharmaceuticals, its subsidiaries and Eli Lilly, at the very least, should be held responsible for failing to warn the public about the risks associated with this defective drug,” their attorney said.

Nearly 800 Actos bladder cancer lawsuits have been filed and transferred to an Actos lawsuit MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Lawsuits in the Actos MDL will be seen before one judge and a single trial, which will address Takeda and Eli Lilly’s alleged liability. If they’re found liable, Plaintiffs in the Actos MDL could receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation for their injuries. A settlement in the MDL is different from an Actos class action lawsuit settlement because it is awarded individually and not shared equally among Class Members.

Filing an Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit

If you or a loved one developed bladder cancer or bladder tumors after taking the diabetes drug Actos, you may have a case to join the Actos lawsuit MDL or to file an Actos class action lawsuit or individual Actos injury lawsuit. Takeda and Eli Lilly need to be held responsible for their failure to warn the public about the risk of Actos cancer.

Visit the Actos Bladder Cancer Class Action Lawsuit Investigation to receive a free consultation about your legal rights. Actos injury lawyers are standing by to assess your case for free and work toward getting the compensation you and your family deserve.

Updated August 22nd, 2012

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