Minnesota Lawsuit Filed by Actos Victims

A lawsuit recently filed by a Minnesota couple is the latest to claim that type II diabetes drug Actos is dangerously defective. William Blumenstine and his wife, Kathy Jo Williams, filed their lawsuit on the 14th of May, 2012, against drug maker Takeda in the United States’ District Court for the District of Minnesota. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Blumenstine began taking the medication in order to help improve his blood sugar, which was high because of his type II diabetes, in 2004. He continued to use the medication in 2008. Shortly before discontinuing his use of the medication, he began experiencing urinary retention and hematuria; he was diagnosed with bladder cancer after a cystoscopy identified a tumor in his bladder. He has had to undergo surgery and other treatments to deal with bladder cancer resulting from Actos use, and as a result he and his wife are seeking compensatory damages for the injuries resulting from his use of Actos.

Failure to warn cited in many lawsuits

Many plaintiffs involved in litigation surrounding Actos and drug maker Takeda claim that Takeda did not adequately warn them about the potential serious side effects of Actos, including bladder cancer. Actos was the 10th best selling medication in the United States in 2008, with billions of dollars in sales all over the world. Even though the drug is a popular treatment for diabetes, a number of studies have established that patients who use it for 12 months or more are at risk of developing bladder cancer, a serious and potentially life-threatening side effect. France and Germany have both suspended their sales of the medication as of 2011, and Takeda is being criticized for continuing to sell the medication in the United States despite this.

Actos popular nationwide

Actos issued to improve blood sugar control in patients with type II diabetes mellitus, a condition that manifests when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin. Because this condition affects millions of Americans, Actos is the most popular product manufactured by drug maker Takeda. A number of patients have been affected by serious side effects of the medication and are therefore taking legal action as a result.

[SmartLink actoslawsuit]