Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit | Attorney for Drug Injuries

The risk of bladder cancer for individuals taking type 2 diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone) is greater than previously believed.  This according to a recent study published by the BMJ Group.  In June of 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a “FDA Drug Safety Communication” that updated an ongoing review of Actos’ risk to bladder cancer.  That study indicated that patients who used Actos for more than 1 year had forty percent increased risk of bladder cancer. According to the study published in BMJ, patients with type 2 diabetes who took pioglitazone, the active ingredient in Actos, had an 83% higher risk for bladder than those who had never taken the drug.  The study was based on 115,727 patients who had taken some sort of anti-diabetic drug between 1998 and 2009.  Furthermore, the study showed that the rate of bladder cancer increased significantly with prolonged use of the drug.  There was also a correlation between the risk of bladder cancer and the dosage level. A 10-year study conducted by Kaiser Permanente Northern California KPNC, which was supported by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Actos, and required by the FDA was the first to find the link between Actos and bladder cancer.  That study suggested only a 40 percent increase in the risk of bladder cancer for Actos users taking the drug for a period greater than .  It also indicated that the risk was greater in males than in females.

Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States.  The National Cancer Institute statistics report there will be an estimated 73,510 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed in the United States in 2012, and roughly 14,880 people will die from bladder cancer in 2012. If treated in the early stages, bladder cancer is highly treatable.  Typical symptoms of bladder cancer are:

• Blood in the urine
• Tenderness during urination
• Problems urinating

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuits

Takeda Pharmaceuticals has already faced several Actos lawsuits related to bladder cancer since the FDA’s published studies.  Since its inception in 1999, Actos has been the most prescribed type 2 diabetes drug in the world.  In 2009 alone, the company had sales of $8 billion annually, and the vast majority of that is from Actos.  Furthermore, it is estimated that nearly a fifth of all bladder cancer cases are directly related to the use of Actos and other drugs containing pioglitazone. According to a report by Bloomberg News, Takeda Pharmaceuticals may face as much as 10,000 lawsuits from people using Actos and affected with bladder cancer.  These lawsuits are attributed to claims that Takeda knew about risks associated with Actos, but failed to warn patients about the risks associated with the drug. If you have taken the pharmaceutical drug Actos and have developed cancer, please contact an attorney immediately to protect your rights.