7th Largest Punitive Verdict in U.S. History Awarded in Actos Lawsuit

The controversial drug Actos (pioglitazone) used to treat Type 2 Diabetes has been linked to an 83% increased risk of bladder cancer (www.bmj.com). As a result, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the drug’s manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals and its partner Eli Lily. In April of this year, a Louisiana jury in the first of several of bellwhether cases, granted the plaintiff an award of $1.475 million in compensatory damages and $9 billion in punitive damages - $6 billion by Takeda and $3 billion by Lily. The plaintiff, a man who had been diagnosed with bladder cancer after using Actos for several years, argued that he believed the drug to be safe as indicated by the drug’s promotion, advertisements, marketing, and labeling. The jury found that Takeda and Eli Lilly recklessly endangered the lives of unwilling patients by knowingly hiding the drug’s harmful effects from consumers. Takeda and Lily were also found to have accidently or intentionally destroyed incriminating but relevant evidence before the trial started.

While Takeda and Lily seek to appeal the verdict, altogether, 3,000 lawsuits relating to the drug Actos are pending in the federal courts, with an estimation of that number growing to 10,000 (www.bloomberg.com). Actos is a popular medication and at one point was the 10th most prescribed drug in the United States as well as Takeda’s best-selling drug with sales of $3.4 billion in 2013.

Be advised that the following symptoms are potentially associated with bladder cancer: bloody urine, pain with urinating, increased urge to urinate, and unusual back pain. Actos has been recalled in France, Germany, and India, and although the drug has not been recalled in the United States, you still have rights and legal options as a consumer.

The mass tort attorneys at Nager, Romaine & Schneiberg Co., L.P.A., are investigating claims involving the development of bladder cancer after one year of using any of the medications including: Actos, Actoplus Met, Actoplus Met XR, and Duetact. Contact us TODAY at 216-289-4740,  toll free from Ohio at (855) GOT-HURT, or fill out our contact form.