The trial in the first Actos bladder cancer lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceutical Company is currently underway – and the result could determine how the Japan-based drug maker handles the 3,000 additional lawsuits pending in courts throughout the United States. The testimony presented thus far hasn’t been favorable for Takeda, as the plaintiff’s urologist recently told jurors that Actos is likely what caused his terminal bladder cancer.

Actos Was “Most Substantial Factor”

The plaintiff in the first Actos bladder cancer lawsuit to go to trial is a 79-year-old former Pacific Bell employee. According to an article in Law360, he had developed Type 2 diabetes years before and his doctors prescribed Actos, which is manufactured by Takeda and was one of the top-selling diabetes medications on the market. However, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer in December 2011 and sued Takeda.

Testimony in the trial has been damaging to the manufacturer as the plaintiff’s urologist recently told jurors that, despite the plaintiff’s history of smoking, his prolonged exposure to Actos was “the most substantial causative factor” in his terminal cancer. This plaintiff, like the thousands of others who have suffered Actos injuries, alleges that Actos caused him to develop bladder cancer and that Takeda Pharmaceuticals knew about the increased risks but failed to warn consumers about those risks. In short, the company put profits over safety.

Link Between Actos & Bladder Cancer Well Documented

The link between Actos (pioglitazone) use and bladder cancer has been well documented in medical journals, studies and by the government:

• British Medical Journal. A study reported in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has shown that Actos users are more than twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those who took a placebo.
• Canadian Medical Association Journal. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that use of Actos was linked to a 22 percent increased risk of developing bladder cancer.
• Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser Permanente has reported that using Actos for more than one year can significantly increase the risk of bladder cancer. That study is still ongoing.
• FDA. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that its Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) demonstrated “a definite signal for bladder cancer associated with [Actos] use” after 6 to 24 months of patient exposure.

If you or a family member has developed bladder cancer after taking Actos, contact one of the experienced product liability attorneys at The Driscoll Firm, LLC, to determine whether you might be entitled to compensation for lost income, medical expenses, medical monitoring, pain and suffering and more.