Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Actos Discussions: Your Actos Case

Determining Whether You Have an Actos Case
Hundreds of thousands of patients who have taken the drug Actos over the past few years—believing the drug to be safe—have been very disillusioned to find that the drug can have some potentially very serious side effects. Actos is a drug which was developed for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and works by helping the body restore its normal response to insulin, effectively lowering blood sugar. When high blood sugar is not consistently controlled, kidney damage, blindness, nerve problems and even the loss of limbs become possible medical issues. The control of Type 2 diabetes is also necessary to avoid a debilitating heart attack or stroke. Therefore, when a drug such as Actos seems to do a good job of lowering blood sugar, it becomes a very popular prescription drug. So popular that in spite of the recent rash of lawsuits against Takeda—the manufacturers of Actos—profits have only been dampened by approximately 13%. The pharmaceutical giant is still enjoys some $2.2 billion dollars in annual profits, down from an all-time high of over 4 billion dollars in annual profits. If you have taken Actos you may be wondering whether you might have an Actos case and be entitled to damages.

The FDA issued a warning which cautions patients with a history, diagnosis or heightened risk of bladder cancer to consider an alternative diabetes treatment to Actos. Although this warning sounds fairly mild, drug safety watchdogs are urging anyone who is currently taking Actos to speak to their doctor about an alternative drug with less risk factor and are strongly urging those who have taken the drug in the past to ask their doctor to set up a bladder cancer screening. The common side effects of Actos generally include upper respiratory infections, headache, sinus infection, muscle pain, tooth problems, sore throat and swelling or water weight gain. Anyone who has had symptoms which can suggest bladder cancer such as blood in the urine, pain upon urination, back or stomach pain, or an urgent need to urinate should immediately seek medical attention. Because Actos has also been tied to an increased risk of heart failure, any patient who notices swelling of the feet, a sudden increase in weight and shortness of breath should also seek immediate medical attention. In conjunction these symptoms can suggest congestive heart failure and a buildup of fluid in the lungs. In short, if you took Actos for a period of more than twelve months, or in very high dosages, you may be eligible to file an Actos lawsuit.

Could Harm from Actos Translate Into Damages?
Lawsuits resulting from bladder cancer believed to be caused by Actos started in August of 2011 with thousands expected to follow as the harmful effects of the drug continue to be investigated. Many of these lawsuits allege that Takeda either knew or should have known the long-term effects of the drug, primarily the increased risk of bladder cancer in those taking higher dosages or taking Actos for an extended period of time. The FDA did not release a safety communication regarding these risks until June 15, 2011, basing their decision on an ongoing ten-year study of the serious side effects of Actos. Among this group of 193,000 patients taking Actos, a five-year interim study revealed no overall increase in bladder cancer, however showed significantly increased risks of the disease in those taking Actos for an extended period of time or in higher dosages.

Compared to those who had never taken Actos study participants who took the drug for longer than twelve months were found to have a forty percent higher risk of developing bladder cancer. While every case is unique, the damages awarded in Actos settlements will be based on a variety of factors. Takeda’s failure to warn those taking Actos of potential bladder cancer or heart failure risks will certainly factor into the equation, as well as the extent of the damages you have suffered. Those who have already been diagnosed with bladder cancer or heart failure which can be linked to the use of Actos obviously have easily assessable damages. Even those who have not yet suffered ill health effects from Actos use should not discount a lawsuit for potential harm. If Takeda Pharmaceuticals knew the harmful effects of Actos before placing it on the market and used financial means to hide this knowledge, then essentially any person who has taken Actos may be eligible to take part in the Actos class action lawsuit.

Author: Sullo & Sullo Attorneys

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