Bladder Cancer Death Blamed on Actos

A Texas woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of the type II diabetes drug Actos, after her husband died as an alleged result of Actos-related bladder cancer. Gail Hamilton filed her lawsuit on the 14th of August, 2012, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, claiming that her husband Robert’s death on May 11, 2012, was the result of his use of the type II diabetes drug Actos, which has been linked in several studies to an increased risk of bladder cancer.

Failure to warn cited in suit

The plaintiff’s lawsuit claims that the manufacturers of Actos did not adequately warn patients about the risks associated with Actos, which she says is a defective an unreasonably dangerous drug due to its association with bladder cancer and other potentially deadly side effects. Although Actos has been helpful to many patients who suffer from type II diabetes, and has helped control the symptoms of the disease in conjunction with diet and exercise, the side effects are extremely serious.

The medication was approved in the United States in 1999 by the Food and Drug Administration. Actos became the tenth best selling medication in the United States not even ten years later, in 2008. In June of 2011, the FDA issued a safety announcement stating that “use of the diabetes medication Actos for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.” This warning was added to warning labels and was based on results of a five-year analysis of an ongoing ten-year study.

Lawsuits seek compensation

Patients affected by side effects of Actos may choose to file Actos lawsuits against drug maker Takeda in the hopes of being compensated for injury-related costs. Hamilton and other plaintiffs who have filed wrongful death suits are hoping that they will be able to cover bereavement costs, including medical bills and funeral expenses, for their loved one with a possible resulting settlement.

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