New Actos Injury Lawsuit Filed in California
By Courtney Coren
On March 22, 2013, Another Actos lawsuit was filed by a California man who claims the type-2 diabetes drug is the cause of his bladder cancer.
Fred Marinello alleges that Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the Actos drug maker, did not properly warn him and his doctor that using Actos for more than 12 months can cause bladder cancer.
In 2009, Marinello began taking Actos when his doctor prescribed it to him as a long-term treatment for his type-2 diabetes. In September 2011, less than two years later, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He argues that if he had been properly educated about the risks of using Actos long-term, he would have opted out of taking the medication.
It wasn’t until after Marinello was already diagnosed that he learned about the connection between Actos and bladder cancer.
When the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug in 1999, there had already been a two-year study on animals that showed a link between Actos and cancer. Based on this information, Marinello and others who have filed an Actos lawsuit claim that Takeda was aware of the risks before the drug ever launched.
In the first Actos lawsuit that was tried, the plaintiff presented evidence that Takeda had surveyed doctors secretly to see how a warning that showed a risk of bladder cancer would affect their likelihood of prescribing Actos. They found that Actos sales would be affected by such a warning.
They also cite a 2005 study that showed Actos patients were more likely to develop bladder cancer than patients who took different medication to treat their diabetes.
Additional studies have been conducted in both the United States and France that have shown an increase risk of bladder cancer in patients taking high doses of Actos or in patients that have taken the drug for two to five years.
In June 2011, the FDA announced that the Actos warning label would be updated to reflect that using Actos for more than one year increases the risk of bladder cancer.
Bloomberg News reported in 2011 that the FDA also found a link between Actos and heart problems. Takeda was pulled Actos from the French and German markets in June 2011 due to the concerns of the officials there.
More than 3,000 Actos injury lawsuits have been filed against Takeda with similar claims as Marinello — that Takeda did not give proper warning to doctors and their patients about Actos side effects and risks.
Marinello’s lawsuit is being heard in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. He is charging Takeda with strict liability and negligence.
If you or someone you know has had a similar experience to Mr. Cooper while taking Actos to treat your diabetes, legal options are available. Learn more and get a free legal consultation regarding a claim’s eligibility at the Actos Bladder Cancer Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Experienced legal professionals have access to medical experts to assess whether or not this diabetes drug played a role in your bladder cancer or other serious side effects, so act now.
Updated April 9th, 2013
All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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