Actos

Pioglitazone is a prescription drug sold as “Actos” in the United States. Actos is used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus Type 2 and can also be used for diet or exercise programs. It is not used to treat Type 1 diabetes. Actos is in a class of medications called thiazolidinediones. It works by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, a natural substance that helps control blood sugar levels. Recent studies from the FDA and other sources have shown severe negative side effects from taking Actos. If you or a loved one is taking Actos, please read on for facts about the drug and the litigation surrounding it.

Facts about Actos:

• A 2005 Proactive study demonstrated a higher percentage of bladder cancer cases in patients receiving Actos.
• In 2007, the FDA requested that Actos boxes be given a black box label, the strongest FDA-requested label change that can be added to a drug, due to the risk of serious cardiovascular events caused by the drug.
• A study was released on August 24, 2010 showing that the drug was just as dangerous as Avandia in terms of increasing risks of cardiovascular events.
• On June 16, 2011, the FDA required a label change for Actos because the drug, in users using for more than a year, causes a 40% increase in the risk for bladder cancer
• Bladder cancer is an aggressive cancer that affects 70,000 Americans a year, with 17,000 dying from the disease.
• On August 17, 2011, the website EHealthMe released a study regarding the side effects of taking Actos and the bladder cancer risk, finding that most of the 22,512 subjects reported side effects when taking Actos and 0.22% have bladder cancer.
• France and Germany have banned the use of Actos, an action which affected the FDA’s June 2011 action of requiring a label change.
• The American Diabetes Association has recognized an association between Actos and bladder cancer.

Litigation News:

• Last month, plaintiffs Glen and Nina Weant filed a motion for transfer of all Actos actions to the Southern District of Illinois.
• The petition alleges that “[a]s a result of the defective nature of Actos, persons who were prescribed and ingested Actos for more than twelve months were at an increased risk for developing bladder cancer, have suffered and may continue to suffer from bladder cancer.”
• The panel requested that all interested party responses be filed by the end of September.
• Oral arguments for the case(s) are expected to take place in Savannah, GA at the December Multi-District Litigation (MDL) hearing session.
• At least 11 other lawsuits have been filled in the Northern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Western District of New York, the District of New Jersey, the Northern District of Ohio and the Central District of California.

If you have taken Actos and have had been diagnosed with bladder cancer or have had a serious cardiovascular event, find out how the Miller Firm LLC can help you. Fill out our case review form here on our website and submit it for a free consultation.