In 2007 the news flurry regarding the potential risk of heart problems with Avandia caused many patients with diabetes to change medications and begin the use of Actos. Unfortunately, new research now suggests Actos’ side effects may actually increase the risk of bladder cancer the longer the medication is used.
It is believed Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Actos, knew or should have known Actos possessed a cancer risk, but failed to properly research the medication and/or warn about it’s potential problems. The timeline outlined below provides a summary of the sequence of events that have led many to call for an Actos recall to be issued:
Before Actos Approval — In the 1990′s a study performed on rats by Takeda Pharmaceuticals found that cancerous tumors were seen in rats getting doses which were equal to a clinical dosages.
July 1999 — The FDA approves Actos for the treatment of type 2 Diabetes.
September 17, 2010 — The FDA states due to the findings of a ten year study, it was starting an investigation regarding the potential risks associated with taking Actos longer than two (2) years and being diagnosed with bladder cancer.
April 2011 — The American Diabetes Association published a report looking at the correlation of drugs such as Actos, their use and link with bladder cancer and the reporting process through the FDA’s adverse event reporting system (AERS). The report concluded that that the AERS analysis along with the clinical studies does show a link between bladder cancer and Actos.
June 6, 2011 — France states it is suspending the use of Actos when French insurers, through their own independent study, found a higher risk of being diagnosed with bladder cancer when Actos has been taken. Soon thereafter, Germany made the same determination.
June 15, 2011 — The FDA issued an Actos bladder cancer warning, stating taking Actos in excess of one year can be linked with a higher risk of bladder cancer tumors. Patient medication guides will be redone to now also disclose these known risks of taking Actos and beign diagnosed with bladder cancer. This will also be added to the Warnings and Precautions section of the label for pioglitazone-containing medicines.
July 11, 2011 — Recalls of Actos in France are done by Takeda Pharmaceuticals
July 21, 2011 — The European Medicines Agency suggests close monitoring of Actos patients.
August 4, 2011 — The FDA issued a new warning label information for the pioglitazone-containing medicines to include safety information that the use of Actos for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
Additional Actos Information and Helpful Links
| Actos and Bladder Cancer | Bladder Cancer Treatment Options |
|---|---|
| Bladder Cancer Symptoms | Bladder Cancer Treatment Costs |
| Actos Timeline | Hiring an Actos Law Firm |
| Actos Lawsuits | Actos Lawsuit Status |
The Actos Attorneys at Bernheim & Dolinsky, LLC. are evaluating potential Actos lawsuits for bladder cancer as a result of the manufacturer’s failure to adequately warn about the potential risk.
For more information please contact Bernheim & Dolinsky, L.L.C. at 1-800-474-4089 or contact us online
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