As the first hearing for the Actos (pioglitazone) multidistrict litigation (MDL) approaches, more diabetics who developed bladder cancer due to the drug start filing lawsuits.
In the string of latest Actos lawsuits, a couple from California filed charges against Takeda and Eli Lilly through the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California in San Diego. The couple is seeking compensation for injuries and hospital bills. One of the plaintiffs took Actos for type 2 diabetes from 2008 until early 2011. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in September 2011.
One of the claimants is also requesting compensation for loss of consortium and emotional support. Loss of consortium is a claim commonly made by wives in the filing of their husbands’ Actos bladder cancer lawsuits. It is viewed as one of the factors in the MDL set on March 22.
In December 2011, MDL for Actos bladder cancer charges was assigned to Judge Rebecca Doherty of the Western District of Louisiana. There are at least 170 cases awaiting MDL.
For so many Actos users, bladder cancer did not just injure their body and finances; it also altered their lifestyles. Since diagnosis of bladder cancer, claimants need to maintain routine follow-up checkups. Because of bladder cancer’s high rate of recurrence, follow-up appointments every three to six months, even after successful treatments and in the absence of symptoms, are needed. Detecting and treating a recurrent bladder tumor entails a lot of work. With diabetes and bladder cancer at once, demands of day-to-day life can be burdensome. For the said reasons, sufferers of Actos bladder cancer try to make the legal system works for them.
The growing Actos bladder cancer lawsuits stems from the Food and Drugs Administration’s (FDA) June 15 announcement.
In 2011, the FDA announced the link between Actos and bladder cancer. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) as early as May of the same year concluded that based on the reports filed through FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), there was a strong association between Actos and bladder cancer. Also in June, a French study corroborated the findings.
If you are experiencing lower back pain or pain during urination and has spotted blood in your urine, consult your healthcare provider immediately. If you have already developed bladder cancer, contact our Actos lawyer to discuss your legal rights.
Actos is still available in the U.S. market without restriction and is still the top-selling diabetes drug with total sales of $3.4 billion in 2011.
Variants for pioglitazone-containing drugs are Actos, ActoPlus (Met and Met XR), and Duetact.
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