Diabetes is an epidemic that has healthcare officials all over the world concerned. Over the past two decades, there have been a number of medications approved and released on the market that are designed to treat diabetes. One such medication was Takeda Pharmaceuticals' Actos. Actos has recently come under scrutiny for it has been linked to an increased risk of bladder, prostate and pancreatic cancer.
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Takeda Pharmaceuticals regarding their medication Actos. The data released from a handful of recent studies has prompted the drug manufacturer to set aside $2.4 billion for settlements to resolve lawsuits alleging that the company hid its knowledge about the link between Actos and increased risks of cancer in patients.
Approved by the FDA for treatment of type 2 diabetes at the turn of the century, Actos quickly became the top selling diabetes medication in the United States. The drug's success was further propelled when its main competitor Avandia was severely restricted in the U.S. over growing concerns that it increased the risk of heart attack.
In 2011, Actos sales reached a stunning $4.5 billion per year. It was also around this time that concerns grew amidst a growing number of reports that patients who took Actos for more than one year were displaying unusual bladder cancer diagnosis rates.
Across the world the reaction was almost instantaneous. France and Germany immediately recalled Actos, while here in the United States the FDA added a black box warning to the medication's label alerting patients of the increased risk of developing bladder cancer while on Actos.
Earlier this year Takeda Pharmaceuticals agreed to set aside $.24 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits filed by patients who developed bladder cancer after taking Actos. Given the recent results from a Journal of the American Medical Association regarding Actos and the increased risk of pancreatic and prostate cancer, the number of lawsuits to be filed is sure to rise.
If you or someone you know has taken the medication Actos and has also been diagnosed with either bladder, prostate or pancreatic cancer, you too may be eligible for compensation for damages and pain and suffering. Contact an personal injury attorney at Lowe Law Group today and get the money you deserve.
