Actos Bladder Cancer Litigation Underway to Offer Patients Relief

Actos litigation is well underway. Federal Judge Rebecca Doherty has consolidated In Re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation into multidistrict litigation, which currently has over a thousand plaintiffs suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiaries.  Patients across the United States have filed suit in order to obtain expedited relief. 

At the heart of these lawsuits is a claim that plaintiffs were not alerted to the health risks inherent to taking Actos until too late.  Plaintiffs have asserted that the pharmaceutical giant knew or should have known of the dangers this drug posed to their health.  Many of these patients were shocked to develop life altering conditions after taking their medication, such as bladder cancer. 

What is Actos

Actos is a prescribed daily medication for diabetes type 2.  In conjunction with diet and exercise, Actos is intended to control the insulin resistance by raising the patient's sensitivity to insulin.  

Actos (pioglitazone) accounts for approximately 20% of the diabetes medication prescribed today.  Made by Takeda Pharmaceuticals and distributed by Eli Lilly, this drug has enjoyed massive distribution.  Approved in 1999, Actos accounts for over $5 billion in reported sales per year.  

The Alleged Problem with Actos

Actos was sold as the answer to Avandia, a drug which previously carried significant risks of heart attack.  The problem was that these "safer" claims did not appear to be consistent according to various research studies.  

In 1998, Kaiser Permanente began studying the effects of Actos, believing the statistical data in Actos' clinical trials did not tell the entire story of potential outcomes.  After 10 years, Kaiser published this study, concluding patients taking Actos had a 40% increased risk of developing bladder cancer.

This came as quite a shock to patients, who were already at increased risk of bladder cancer.  High risk patients were advised by the FDA to discuss alternative options with their doctors. 

If You Have Been Harmed

Actos litigation is still active.  If you have taken your Actos medication as prescribed and have later developed bladder cancer, heart failure, or suspicious bone fractures, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.  Patients suffering are encouraged to consult a skilled product liability and personal injury attorney to obtain the relief they need.

Could Statin Drugs' Off Label Use Reduce Cancer Deaths?

New Study Suggests Statins Could Reduce Cancer Deaths

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine today reports that statins, the cholesterol reducing medicines in Lipitor and Crestor, may actually reduce death rates from cancer. Danish researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital cite that in a study of over 300,000 Danish cancer patients, the estimated 20,000 who had taken statins saw a 15 to 20 percent reduction in cancer deaths.

To keep this in perspective, chemotherapy, the dominant accepted form of cancer treatment also reduces cancer deaths by 15 to 20 percent.  Could taking statins produce the same end result as undergoing months of painful, uncomfortable, nauseating chemotherapy?

Researchers predict it is too early to tell if statin drugs could be a viable alternative or compliment to chemotherapy teatment in patients.  But as exciting as these findings are, they only inspire more questions.

Cancer Rates are on the Rise- Could Statins Lower These Rates

The promise that statins could hold is especially exciting since cancer rates have been on the rise.  Recent pharmaceutical drugs' side effects have raised the cancer rates in America and abroad to include thousands of new cases.

One such example is the prescription drug Actos, which was prescribed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes.  The FDA warned that after using this drug for a year or longer, patients had a 40% increased risk of developing bladder cancer.  Thousands of patients have come forward, complaining to the FDA and filing suit against the manufacturer for these injuries.

If statin drugs could produce the same 15 to 20 percent reduction on a larger scale, cancer patients everywhere could have yet another weapon in their arsenal to try and extend their life. Until there are clinical trials to show indisputable scientific evidence of this effectiveness, we shall all just wait and see. 

If you try new untested treatments and face injuries, you should seek medical help.  But if these off label treatments were suggested to you by your doctor or promoted by the pharmaceutical manufacturers, you should also seek the advice of a skilled product liability lawyer. 

Actos Judge Accused of Misconduct by Plaintiff Attorneys

As the Actos litigation heats up, so too do the emotions surrounding the issue.  In one of the stranger twists in this litigation, many attorneys have cried foul to Judge Rebecca Doherty’s efforts to reach out to a state judge to coordinate trial efforts.

Judge Doherty recently contacted New Mexico state Judge Sarah Singleton to coordinate their efforts.  Following the guidelines established in the Mass Tort Litigation Committee of the Conference of Chief Justices’ State Manual, Judge Doherty noted, “coordination, cooperation, discussion and interaction between and among federal courts and state courts is not a novel thing…rather, it is advised, encouraged, and welcomed by both the federal and state courts.”

It is likely that attorneys feared this federal judge would try to exert her influence over state litigation.  However, Judge Doherty assured attorneys that this was not the case.  She further warned litigating attorneys against an inflammatory tone intended to manipulate or intimidate the courts.

Why Is there Actos Litigation

Actos litigation initiated following a U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety warning that Actos could cause a 40% higher risk of bladder cancer in patients who have taken this drug for a year or longer.  This data was supported by Kaiser Permanente’s 10 year meta- study of Actos patients.  Across the nation and even across the globe, similar studies have further supported these claims.

Actos patients began to suffer the ill effects of bladder cancer and even die.  In response, injured patients and grieving family members filed suits in multidistrict litigation.  These Actos lawsuits have been going on since December 2011 and are expected to continue into 2013. As patients develop bladder cancer or die, more patients consider filing suit every day.

If You Have Been Injured by Actos

If you are an Actos patient that has developed bladder cancer, you do not have to suffer alone.  Call our experienced and knowledgeable Actos injury attorneys today for your free consultation.  We want to obtain the justice you deserve and get you the compensation you need.  Call us today and we can get to work on your case.

 

 

CASES AGAINST ACTOS MANUFACTURER ON THE RISE

Actos Lawsuits Rise

Patients with diabetes injuries have been filing suit in droves against Actos manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, its subsidiaries, and Eli Lilly.  These cases recently reached over 800 individuals alleging their diabetes injuries were the result of taking their Actos medication as prescribed.

Sold as the “safer alternative” to its predecessor, Avandia, Actos has been controversial due to a multitude of studies which allege the drug increases the risk of bladder cancer in patients.  In their July 2011 public health communication, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited a 40% increased risk of developing bladder cancer when patients took Actos for a year or longer.  This is particularly troubling because Actos reportedly held a 20% market share of diabetes medications overall.  How many millions of people could have potentially risked their health taking this medication?

Why the Lawsuits?

Plaintiffs allege these diabetes injuries were the result of Actos’ manufacturer, subsidiaries, and distributor’s failure to protect the public by aggressively marketing a medication they knew or should have known to be unsafe.  Some cases have cited early studies which suggest a strong link to increased rates of bladder cancer.  And other cases report 100+ consumercomplaints a year that should have alerted the defendants to the dangerous side effects.

Due to this large number of cases filed across the nation, a federal judge recently consolidated these cases into one multi- district litigation in the hopes that this will expedite victims’ relief.  If you are seeking relief for your diabetes injury, you should consult an attorney today.  If you or your loved one has been injured taking your Actos medication as prescribed, you could be entitled to compensation.  Call our skilled product liability attorneys today to preserve your legal rights.