Defective Drug Attorneys Baker, Zimmerman & Perez

Actos - Dangerous Side Effects – Bladder Cancer

Actos (pioglitazone) which is manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals is a prescription medication used with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Brand names also include ActoPlus Met and ActoPlus Met XR. Pioglitazone is in a class of medications called thiazolidinediones. It works by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, a natural substance that helps control blood sugar levels. Actos comes as a tablet and is taken by mouth. It is usually taken once daily with or without meals.

An Actos recall was issued in Germany and France, but the drug has not been recalled in the United States. The FDA has not banned Actos or the combination pills that contain it, but has recently stated, that use of the diabetes medication Actos® for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Officials say information about this risk will be added to the label of the drug as well as the patient medication guide.

Northern California study of 193,000 diabetic patients with Type 2 diabetes found that diabetics who took ACTOS had a 40% higher risk of developing bladder cancer than a control group.

Often used an alternative to Avandia, some consumers also claim Actos increased incidents of heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart failure and even death while using the drug.

Users of Actos claim Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Asia’s largest drug maker withheld information about the risk of bladder cancer and failed to provide adequate warnings to consumers.

In 2010, U.S. sales of Actos was $3.5 billion, according to a CNBC report. And Actos was one of America’s 10 most popular prescription drugs according to IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. Sales in 2011 were nearing $4.3 billion. 

Did you contracted bladder cancer after taking Actos or has your or a family suffered side effects, been injured or died as a result of taking Actos? Contact Baker Zimmerman & Perez today at 800-886-LAWS to learn more about your legal rights.