The drug pioglitazone, marketed as Actos®, is prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes. Chemically related to the diabetes drug Avandia, Actos has come under fire in recent years for serious, sometimes fatal side effects.
Representing clients injured by Actos, our attorneys in Chicago provide skilled legal service pursuing compensation for drug-related injury like bladder cancer, macular edema, and heart or liver failure. While money brings some justice, it does not restore health. Many of our clients injured by Actos wonder how much Takeda Pharmaceutical Company knew about the dangers of the drug it marketed to an unsuspecting public.
A 2010 safety announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mentions that one Takeda study found an increased risk of bladder cancer among patients with the longest exposure to Actos. But in a whistleblower lawsuit unsealed this past spring, a former consultant for Takeda claims she was instructed not to accurately report adverse drug events associated with Actos.
In her lawsuit, whistleblower Dr. Helen Gee claims:
- Takeda purposely failed to report all heart failure cases to the FDA
- Underreporting the adverse drug effects of Actos aided Takeda after the GlaxoSmithKline drug Avandia was linked to damaging cardiac events
- Upon revealing her findings to Takeda, Dr. Gee was fired
Actos lawsuits are presently filed in Cook County where the manufacture Takeda is located. We have filed a number of cases against Takeda and expect to file more as people who are affected by Actos seek legal representation. While the question remains about what Takeda knew in 2008, there is no doubt now of the dangers of the prescription medication Actos. If injured by Actos, be sure to seek experienced legal advice.
