Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit


On April 25, 2012, Donald Shingleton, who hails from West Virginia, filed a lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceuticals claiming that he suffered bladder cancer after taking an anti-diabetic drug, Actos. The drug is prescribed to diabetes patients and contains pioglitazone as the main ingredient. Actos has been notorious for side effects like congestive heart failure, edema and weight gain.

 Previously after observing severe side effects of Actos, a mass tort was filed inNorthern Illinois. This was a result of Actos's link to causing bladder cancer among patients who were prescribed the same. The lawsuit was filed against Takeda Pharmaceuticals and involved 16 plaintiffs.


 Recently, US Judge, Rebeca Doherty issued an order as per which people who have suffered from Actos side effects can directly join the multidistrict litigation and not waste their time by filing individually in the local courts. The order was to hasten the process of justice to those who have suffered from the adverse effects of Actos.

 Actos is prescribed to patients suffering from Type II diabetes who do not depend on insulin as treatment. Approved in 1999, the increased sale was enough to help this drug win popularity as a top rated medicine in the industry. In 2007, this drug was the most popular in its class and remained so until its serious side effects came to be recorded.

 Since the reports about Actos being linked to serious side effects started pouring, evidence for Actos causing bladder cancer also started accumulating. Also, patients experienced broken bones, liver diseases and eye ailments seen among diabetic patients. But, what forced the public to give Actos a very serious thought was its increased risk of causing bladder cancer.

 The failure of Takeda to warn public about the serious complications linked with prolonged administration was the central issue highlighted in this lawsuit. The total compensation that the mass tort case asked was $75,000. The mass tort also alleged that the drug manufacturers were already aware about the truth of Actos, but kept it secret from general public just to make profit. The prolonged use of this drug can be life threatening and all the patients under study showed exactly similar findings.

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