Bladder Cancer Risk Prompts Actos Restriction in Ontario

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The Canadian province of Ontario is limiting patient access to Takeda’s controversial diabetes medication Actos (generic: pioglitazone) due to the risk of bladder cancer that has become increasingly linked to the drug. The Ontario Public Drug (OPD) program has announced that it is removing Actos from its list of approved drugs, which means that in the future patients will need to go through special steps in order to obtain the medication. Signs and symptoms of Actos-induced bladder cancer may include blood or blood clots in the urine, pain during urination (dysuria), urinating small amounts frequently, and frequent urinary tract infections.

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Update 7/17/12: According to an order issued earlier this week, it will be more than two years before the first federal Actos bladder cancer lawsuits go to trial. Last December, the Actos multidistrict litigation (MDL) was centralized before U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty in the Western District of Louisiana for consolidated handling during pretrial proceedings. Click here to learn more.

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Update 6/19/12: A Louisiana man has filed a lawsuit alleging that Actos caused him to develop bladder cancer just four months after initiating a regimen with the widely-prescribed diabetes drug. Although most lawsuits of this type are filed on behalf of individuals who developed bladder cancer after using Actos for extended periods of time, the recent claim indicates that the plaintiff was diagnosed in October 2011, after taking the drug from April through July of that year. Click here to learn more.

Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Update 6/14/12: If Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ attorneys have their way, patients diagnosed with bladder cancer after using Actos will face a deadline for filing their lawsuit tomorrow, if the drug was prescribed or taken in a state with a one-year statute of limitations. June 15, 2012, marks exactly one year after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the possible link between Actos and bladder cancer. Click here to learn more.

Actos Update 6/14/12: According to the results of a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, using Actos may significantly increase the risk of developing a severe eye problem known as macular edema. This condition causes the macula region of the eye to swell, leading to a loss of visual acuity. Click here to learn more.

Actos Bladder Cancer Update 6/4/12: Two recent studies appear to confirm a mountain of previous evidence indicating a link between Takeda’s blockbuster diabetes drug Actos (generic: pioglitazone) and bladder cancer. The research, which was published last week in the British Medical Journal, found that Actos may double the risk of bladder cancer after two years, supporting recent warnings added to the drug’s label regarding the risks associated with long-term use. Click here to learn more.

Free Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking Actos, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against the manufacturer of Actos and we can help.

What’s the problem?

April 26, 2012 – The new OPD action comes just days after Health Canada issued a press release announcing an Actos bladder cancer warning, stating that the longer a patient takes the drug and the higher the dose received, the greater the likelihood of contracting the disease.

As a result, Actos has been added to the OPD’s Exceptional Access Program (EAP), which means that doctors will no longer be able to prescribe the drug at will. Instead, diabetes patients seeking Actos will have to submit a formal written request for the drug, explaining why use is necessary. The new procedures went into effect on Tuesday.

Manufactured and marketed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Actos is an FDA-approved once-a-day pill that is designed to increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. The drug has been widely prescribed over the past several years, generating an astronomical $4.3 billion in sales for Takeda in 2011 alone.

Reports of bladder cancer among Actos users have prompted updated warning labels in the U.S. and Europe, and an Actos recall was issued last summer in France after studies found an increased risk of the disease in patients being treated with the drug.

Here at home in the United States, a growing number of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits have been filed in courthouses around the country on behalf of individuals who allegedly developed the disease while taking the drug. All the claims involve similar allegations that Takeda failed to provide adequate warnings to the public about the serious health risks associated with its best-selling diabetes medication.

The U.S. federal Actos litigation has been consolidated for pretrial proceedings as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which is currently centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Do You Have an Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit?

The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Actos lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new bladder cancer cases in all 50 states.

Free Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking Actos, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing an Actos bladder cancer suit and we can help.