Actos Bladder Cancer Class Action Lawsuit Likely
Posted by Superman | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 31-03-2012
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Over and over, we find that drugs we thought were safe are actually not. In fact, drug recalls often only occur after a critical mass of people have experienced adverse effects from a drug. Like any other government agency, the Food and Drug Administration is subject to political pressures and budget issues that may infringe on their mission of public health and safety. Some critics of the organization suggest that it is broken, and cite examples of FDA officials kowtowing to corporate power and allowing questionable drugs to remain on the market. European drug safety boards tend to be more conservative, and American consumers would do well to consider their advisories in addition to those issued by the FDA.One key example of a drug warning that came too late to help thousands of Americans is the bladder cancer warning for the popular diabetes drug, Actos. Even with data in hand that shows the drug significantly raises the risk of a patient getting cancer of the bladder, the FDA continues to allow it to be prescribed. Compared to their counterparts across the pond (France and Germany have both banned the drug), the FDA’s warning seems inadequate.
Falling short of banning the drug, the FDA did release an Actos bladder cancer warning in September of 2010, which was followed by an amended warning in July of 2011. These documents contain data accumulated during a ten year study of the effects of pioglitazone, the generic name for Actos. The results of the study clearly indicate that use of pioglitazone does increase the risk of developing bladder cancer. Specifically, people who take the drug over an extended period of time – at least a year – and those who take the highest doses of the drug, are at the highest risk for developing bladder cancer. Oddly, the FDA warning states that patients who are already taking the drug should continue using it, although the study results indicate that these patients would be at the highest risk for developing bladder cancer.
Despite its failure to remove Actos from the U.S. market, the FDA warning does fuel the fire for Actos bladder cancer lawsuits. In addition to increasing the risk of developing bladder cancer, Actos has been found to result in other diseases and complaints. Drugs that contain pioglitazone have also been found to cause cardiovascular problems and liver problems, including liver failure. Type 2 diabetes is already a serious condition; there is no justification for introducing a pharmaceutical drug that causes additional severe health problems. Some patients who are prescribed with Actos stop taking the drug immediately because they experience discomforts similar to flu symptoms, including stiff and painful muscles, headache, sore throat and sinus infection. But those who do not experience any discomforts may believe the drug is a good solution to their diabetes. The FDA has a responsibility to keep American consumers safe from dangerous products, but in this case has fallen short of the mark. Based on the fact that roughly 2 million Americans are currently taking Actos, an Actos bladder cancer class action lawsuit is likely to develop. Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the company behind Actos, is an international company; the company’s U.S. headquarters is located in Deerfield, Illinois.


