Actos is a diabetes medication that is the subject of hundreds, if not thousands, of lawsuits. The problem is that when Actos, also known as pioglitazone, is used for a prolonged time period it is found to increase the risk of developing bladder cancer. In France, the sales of Actos have been suspended and sales are seriously curtailed in Germany, but Actos is still sold in the U.S. despite some pretty serious U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings.
In the U.S., the drug was considered a blockbuster, delivering record profits to Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical Industries with $2.5 billion in sales in 2010. An American subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America (based in Illinois), is now where a number of lawsuits have been filed and should be heard.
There are so many lawsuits filed that the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) decided to consolidate many Actos lawsuits pending in federal courts around the country in one area – the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Judge Rebecca F. Doherty will oversee the discovery process and coordinate sharing, which is what is learned in discovery among all of the plaintiff lawyers. This is also a way to cut down on conflicting rulings that can be issued from various courts and to more quickly resolve the Actos lawsuits. The cases can still be tried individually on their own merits, though they are often settled depending on the outcome of a few select, or bellwether, trials.
Since the FDA warning, sales have slowed and the FDA is now reviewing data about the link to bladder cancer.
The Florida Actos attorneys of Farah & Farah are talking to patients who have taken Actos and are suffering the complications, such as bladder cancer. With emotional, medical, and financial challenges ahead, we are bringing defective product cases forward to seek compensation for individuals who have suffered complications from taking Actos. Call our law offices at 1(800) 533-3555 for a complimentary consultation on your injury and find out what we can do to help.
By Eddie Farah
