Actos Bladder Cancer
The National Cancer Institute estimates that over 14,000 people diagnosed with bladder cancer will have perished and over 74,000 more will be diagnosed in 2012.
If you believe you have been diagnosed with bladder cancer due to the misleading information provided by Takeda Pharmaceuticals before taking the diabetes drug Actos, please contact The Gallagher Law Firm at (888) 222-7052 or contact us online to ask questions about your legal rights and options.
FDA Actos Results
The first five years of a ten year clinical study was reviewed by the FDA over the use of pioglitazone, the active ingredient used in Actos and other related diabetes drugs produced by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. A correlation between the dosage amount and longevity of the treatment was reflected in the analysis of increased patients at risk or suffering from bladder cancer.
The study concluded that patients who have been taking Actos, ActoPlus Met, ActoPlus Met RX and Duetact for more than twelve months were 40% more likely to form cancerous tumors in their bladder and experience blood in the urine, back or lower abdominal pain, an urgent need to urinate, or pain during urination.
Foreign Study on Actos
France hosted an epidemeological study that also revealed an increased risk of bladder cancer after exposure to pioglitizone. They have since suspended the use of Actos and other drugs utilizing pioglitizone while Germany has ceased prescribing it to new patients.
Bladder Cancer
The bladder is the organ in the urinary system that stores urine, which is waste created by the kidneys. The inner lining of the bladder is made up of transitional cells which give the bladder its ability to stretch as it becomes full and shrink when emptied. The National Cancer Institute states that ninety percent of Americans with bladder cancer have Transitional Cell Cancer which attacks these very cells. A victim of this cancer may experience a feeling of urgency to empty their bladder, see blood in the urine, feel that their bladder has “shrunk” recently, or feel pain when emptying the bladder.
Malignant cancer can spread to nearby organ and tissue cells, invading a man’s prostate or a woman’s uterus. The cancerous cells can also make their way through the blood stream and lymph vessels subsequently forming tumors in the liver, lungs, bones and lymph nodes.
Lawsuit
Dr. Helen Ge, doctor and former consultant to Takeda Pharmaceuticals, attests in her lawsuit that Takeda knowingly withheld information from the public linking subjects exposed to Pioglitazone to bladder cancer. Ge was employed to review and document how Actos may adversely affect the user and note any events that would signal detriment to safety. She states that when this information was presented to her superiors, her findings were challenged and she was required to list the dangers as “unrelated”. Ge recalls that her findings also included carcinogens found in the initial animal testing phase of Actos development and that she reported over one hundred cancer incidents to the company and only 72 were submitted to the FDA. Ge was fired after bringing these complaints to her superiors at Takeda.
After hundreds of Actos lawsuits against Takeda by those who claimed to have fallen victim to bladder cancer due to their use of Actos, ActoPlus Met, ActoPlus Met RX or Duetact, the FDA reviewed the first five of the ten year clinical study funded by Takeda. In June of 2011, the FDA reported a safety announcement that Actos has been found to increase the risk or worsen the effects of bladder cancer and treatment should cease for those who are at risk. The FDA states that they will continue to observe the results of the ten year analysis and report more information as it becomes available.
The Gallagher Law Firm is actively involved in litigation regarding Actos. If you think your bladder cancer may be related to Actos, speak to the Actos Lawyer for free at The Gallagher Law Firm. Call (888) 222-7052 or contact us online for a free consultation.