A North Carolina woman recently filed an Invokamet kidney disease lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging that their diabetes drug caused life-threatening kidney disease problems.

The plaintiff, Wanda R., began taking Invokamet at the direction of her doctor in February 2015 to treat her diabetes. She took Invokamet, a combination of canagliflozin and metformin, in order to improve her glycemic control. Just two days after she began taking Invokamet, Wanda says she began suffering from serious renal issues, which she alleges are a direct result of taking Invokamet. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with kidney disease.

According to the Invokamet kidney disease lawsuit, not only has the plaintiff suffered directly from taking Invokamet because of the kidney disease itself, but also from “emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and economic loss, including significant expenses for medical care and treatment.”

Wanda claims in her Invokamet kidney disease lawsuit that Invokamet offered more risk than benefit, and that she had other, safer alternatives that she would have taken had she been adequately warned about Invokamet’s risk.

The Invokamet kidney disease lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including failure to warn, design defect, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment. Wanda’s husband, Samuel R., also filed on one count of loss of consortium.

Wanda filed the Invokamet kidney disease lawsuit on July 13, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Background of Invokamet

Invokamet (a combination of canagliflozin and metformin) is used to lower the blood sugar of adult patients with type-2 diabetes. Invokamet is one of a new class of diabetes medications approved to treat type-2 diabetes—not type-1.

Invokamet and others in its class are known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which inhibit certain kidney functions in order to lower blood glucose levels. Kidneys, when working naturally, reabsorb filtered glucose from the blood and return it to the bloodstream. It is an SGLT2 inhibitor’s job to stop this reabsorption, which ultimately lowers the body’s levels of glucose.

However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that Invokamet and other SGLT2 inhibitors may actually increase a patient’s risk of kidney disease or even kidney failure, as well as other side effects. Sometimes, simple cessation of the medication can lead kidney function to return to normal. Other times, further treatment is necessary.

Filing an Invokamet Kidney Disease Lawsuit

If you or someone you know has suffered from significant Invokamet side effects, including kidney disease, from Invokamet or similar diabetes medications, you may be able to file an Invokamet kidney disease lawsuit. Pursuing a lawsuit could result in financial compensation that would help with medical expenses and lost wages, as well as emotional and physical suffering.

The Invokamet Kidney Disease Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-05103-BRM-LHG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.