Takeda Faces First Actos Bladder Cancer Trial

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - March 20, 2013 - PRLog -- Actos manufacturer, Takeda is fully embroiled in the first of over 3,000 Actos lawsuits to go to trial claiming the diabetes drug causes bladder cancer. This first case filed by Jack Cooper is currently underway in the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles and maintains that Takeda failed to properly warn him concerning Actos’ connection to bladder cancer.  To date, both court documents and testimony proffered suggests that Takeda was well aware of the potential for Actos to increase the risk of bladder cancer long before it added a warning label to the product in 2011.  Takeda, however, maintains there is no evidence which supports a causal connection between Actos and bladder cancer.

Jack Cooper, a retired telephone-company employee, claims he took Actos for over two years before being diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2011.  He believes that Takeda delayed adding bladder cancer warnings in order to boost sales of the drug. According to Bloomberg (Feb 15, 2013),  the FDA questioned Takeda regarding a causal link between Actos and bladder cancer. Court documents have shown that Takeda then conducted a secret survey of doctors to determine if they would prescribe a diabetes medication with a bladder cancer warning. Not surprisingly, the survey revealed such a warning would destroy the sales of Actos.

Actos was approved in 1999. Court documents show that Takeda conducted animal studies prior to the drugs’ release and discovered tumors in the animal test subjects. The drug still gained approval and became a top seller for Takeda.  However, with new pressure coming from mounting litigation and generic competition, Takeda’s profits on Actos have plummeted. For the six-month period ending September 30, 2012, Takeda reported a 46.2 percent decline in Actos sales.     

The association between Actos and bladder cancer has been studied for the past few years.  In 2011, the American Diabetes Association published a study showing an association between Actos and bladder cancer. A related study in France also demonstrated a significant increase in the risk of bladder cancer in males treated with Actos for more than one year. This led to the French Medicines Agency to recall Actos.  Additionally, on June 15, 2011, the FDA issued a safety announcement alerting that the use of Actos for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.  Meanwhile, as the first bellwether Actos trial continues, attorneys and bladder cancer sufferers will carefully watch for clues of how juries will respond to the evidence.

   Ennis & Ennis, P.A. continues to offer free, nationwide, confidential consultations to anyone who was injured by Actos by calling toll free 1-800-856-6405 or by going to www.ennislaw.com and completing an online case evaluation form. Actos users developing bladder cancer may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and more.