Another diabetes patient has filed a lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company over a diabetes treatment that has allegedly caused serious complications, including ketoacidosis and renal failure.

The Florida plaintiff, Hank S., recently filed a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals over serious complications with its diabetes drug Invokana.

Hank began taking Invokana at the direction of his doctor in March 2015 to treat diabetes. He continued usage of the drug until August 2015, when he suffered from both ketoacidosis and renal failure.

The complaint claims that Hank’s diagnosis of ketoacidosis and renal failure came as a direct result of using Invokana. These injuries required hospitalization and medical treatment.

According to his Invokana lawsuit, Janssen claimed that Invokana was safer and more effective than it actually was, which led Hank to trust it. Had he known about the risk of ketoacidosis and renal failure linked with the drug, he would have chosen a safer alternative.

In response, Hank filed a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging that his ketoacidosis and renal failure were preventable, but Janssen concealed its risks and continued to market the drug as safe and effective.

The Invokana lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including strict liability, manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment, along with several others.

Background of Invokana

Invokana (also known by its generic name, canagliflozin) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for diabetes back in 2013. Invokana works to treat diabetes by reducing a patient’s blood sugar. Invokana is manufactured by Janssen, a prominent subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

Invokana is one of several major diabetes drugs known as sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, or SGLT2 inhibitors, a class of drugs that has grown increasingly widely used in recent years.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is receiving a growing number of adverse event reports regarding the drug, and has required Janssen to add a series of warnings to the Invokana label about severe Invokana defects and injuries. The warning urged users to be aware of diabetic ketoacidosis symptoms like abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, respiratory problems, and vomiting.

Filing an Invokana Lawsuit

Invokana lawsuits claim that Janssen failed to adequately warn about complications like ketoacidosis and renal failure from Invokana and, in some cases, claim that the company actively withheld information about the risks of Invokana from both the medical community and the general public.

If you or someone you love has suffered from Invokana complications like ketoacidosis or renal failure or another side effect, you may be able to file a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals. While filing a lawsuit cannot reverse the suffering caused by an Invokana kidney injury, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Diabetes Drugs Lawsuit is Case No. 3:17-cv-04136-BRM-LHG, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.