Actos Cancer Lawsuit
According to a recent Bloomberg article, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited was ordered to pay $6 billion in punitive damages based on allegations that included accusations that the drug manufacturer hid information suggesting that its type II diabetes drug Actos poses an increased risk for cancer.
Co-defendant Eli Lilly and Company was also ordered to pay punitive damages. A jury apportioned 75 percent of the liability in this case to Takeda and gave the remaining 25 percent to Eli Lilly. As a result, Eli Lilly was apportioned $3 billion of the $9 billion total punitive damages award.
Takeda disagrees with the award and stated that previous decisions have been in the company’s favor. As the drug manufacturer has been the victor in the three previous Actos cancer lawsuits that have been filed against the company, Takeda reportedly plans to appeal Monday’s ruling. This particular Actos cancer lawsuit was the first of its kind because it was a federal case that included 2,900 different lawsuits.
What Is Actos?
In 1992, Actos came on the market as a new treatment option for patients with type II diabetes. Actos was advertised as a medication that would encourage the body’s cells to be responsive to insulin that the pancreas creates.
The classification for Actos is in the thiazolidinedione family, and this is significant because three of the drugs that have been taken off of the shelves or only allowed for restricted use are also classified within this same family. Furthermore, Actos is a drug that is analogous to two of those three previously mentioned medications.
Actos Lawsuits
Many people who have sustained life-threatening side-effects linked to Actos have hired attorneys and are initiating lawsuits. These patients claim to have suffered complications from taking this drug and seek monetary compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses and missed time from work.
Many patients are filing Actos cancer lawsuits because the drug exposed them to an increased risk of bladder cancer. Some of the other severe side effects include a higher than average risk of the following:
- Congestive heart failure
- Severe liver issues
- Bone fractures
- Blindness
- Bladder failure
In some cases, patients experienced less severe side effects, including diarrhea, sore throat, fever, infections and headaches. Plaintiff in Actos bladder cancer lawsuits allege that they were not told that the medication presented risks of such severe side effects until long after it had been introduced to the market.
Are You Suffering From Side Effects from Actos?
Were you or a loved one prescribed the drug Actos for type II diabetes? Have you been diagnosed with bladder cancer or heart failure after consuming this medication? If this is the case, you may have questions about whether or not you can file an Actos cancer lawsuit. At Attorney Group, we are here to help answer questions you may have concerning this issue. When you call us, we can listen to you and help you understand your legal rights in your specific situation. If you decide to pursue a claim, we can connect you to an affiliated attorney who can help you seek compensation for damages you have suffered. Contact us today for your free, no-obligation consultation.
