Actos (Pioglitazone)
Legal Options
24/7 Helpline 800-950-LAWS (800-950-5297)
- Home
Welcome !
Welcome to the USDrugAlert.com portal!
We have put together the most recent drug alerts posted by the FDA and other regulatory agencies for easy access and referral.
Our Purpose
Our aim has always been to bring you an in-depth picture of the global medical drug and device regulatory environment and to provide the consumer legal options.
- Legal Options
Hernia Mesh Options
Transvaginal Mesh Options
Bair Hugger Options
- Medical Device
Each year millions of patients rely on medical devices for everything from hip and knee replacement to birth control and smoking cessation.
While most of these devices are safe and effective, some have caused patients serious injury or death from side effects not disclosed by manufacturers.
- Drug Warnings
The Journal of the American Medical Association has warned that more than 100,000 deaths and as many as 2 million injuries each year are caused by the side effects and complications of prescription drugs.
While a vast majority are safe and effective, some have caused patients serious injury or death from side effects not disclosed by manufacturers.
- Side Effects
Most prescription and over-the-counter drugs and medications have some type of common side effects.
Some drugs cause dangerous side effects. If a drug has numerous problems, the FDA can add warnings to the drug’s label, including its stringent black-box warning.
- Common Questions
- Get Information
The FDA took a closer look at the risk of bladder cancer amongst Actos users.
The agency evaluated the information from the first five years of a ten-year study on Actos, which was conducted by Takeda. By this point in the study, the results indicated that patients taking Actos were at a 40 percent increased risk of developing bladder cancer.
This information led to the Actos FDA warning, which was issued on June 15, 2011. This safety communication cautioned that patients who used Actos for more than a year, which includes the plaintiff, Stephen Tantillo, were at a much greater risk for bladder cancer. The FDA also ordered that the safety information for the drug be updated to reflect this risk.
Other countries have also taken note of the potentially life-threatening complications of Actos. On June 9, 2011, France announced that it was suspending all sales of medications containing pioglitazone. The announcement was based on a “statistically significant increase” in bladder cancer risk. Germany followed suit the very next day.
Studies Reveal Actos Bladder Cancer Risks
Some Actos plaintiffs claim that Takeda failed to disclose knowledge of potential Actos side effects. They reference a Takeda study conducted before FDA approval in 1999, which showed that lab rats taking clinical doses of Actos developed tumors. In 2005, the three-year PROactive study produced additional warnings regarding Actos bladder cancer. During the study, patients taking the diabetes drug displayed a higher risk of Actos bladder cancer than patients taking comparable medications.
People whom have been injured by Actos do have legal options
If you are a patient for whom Actos was prescribed, and after having followed the instructions of your physician you have found yourself with a diagnosis of bladder cancer, you do have options. The obvious first step that you should take is seeing a medical specialist and getting your condition taken care of. But treatment of bladder cancer is expensive, and can have a dramatic effect on your lifestyle.
You may not be able to continue working or taking care of your family, and may need to hire somebody to assist you. When a drug manufacturer puts patients’ and well-being at risk, the American legal system has remedies available. These include:
- Mass Torts and Multi District Litigation: A mass tort is when a group of plaintiffs file their legal proceedings in a state court, while a multi district litigation (MDL) is held in a federal court.
- Class Action Lawsuit: In a class-action lawsuit, plaintiffs with similar injuries all combine into one single lawsuit.
- Individual lawsuits: In an individual lawsuit, the injured party sues the drug manufacturer directly both for the expenses that they have incurred as a result of their actions and for punitive damages.
Our firm works on a contingency basis which means you will not be asked to pay any money out of pocket.
This process will be very easy. Please feel free to answer all questions honestly as your information is confidential.
This process will be very easy. Please feel free to answer all questions honestly as your information is confidential.
Common Actos Side Effects
Some side effects of Actos are severe enough that they require immediate medical attention, while others do not. Some might be related to things like age, weight, gender and overall health. In addition, ethnicity and race may play a role in side effects.
- Upper respiratory infection (similar to the common cold)
- Headache
- Sinus infection or sinus irritation
- General ill feeling
- Muscle pain
- Tooth pain and problems
- Sore throat
- Allergic reactions such as skin rashes, hives, itching or swelling of the face, lips or tongue
- Fever, chills
- Unusual fatigue
Severe Actos Side Effects Include:
- Bladder cancer
- Congestive heart failure
- Bone fractures
- Lactic acidosis
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
© 2012 USDrugAlert.com, all rights reserved. Sponsored by Goza | Honnold, L.L.C.
