Actos Lawsuits Moving Forward

2,641 Cases Currently Pending in the Actos Multidistrict Litigation

Federal multi-district litigation, established for the several thousand pending Actos lawsuits, which allege the drug, used for treating Type 2 diabetes, has caused patients to develop bladder cancer, continues to gain momentum.

Court documents contend that the long term use of the drug Actos has been linked to at least 2,675 bladder cancer lawsuits. On January 27, 2014, the first bellwether trial is expected to begin.

At state level, two cases have already gone to trial. In September, a Maryland jury awarded $1.7 million to the family of a man that died of bladder cancer following long-term use of the drug. However, the verdict was overturned after the jury learned of extenuating health issues.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) published a report in March 2011, which reviewed FDA adverse drug reports concerning Actos and bladder cancer. The report concluded that “preliminary data found an increasing risk of bladder cancer with pioglitazone exposure, with statistical significance after 24 months.”

Of note, Actos, a competitor to GlaxoSmithKline’s Avandia, benefited from previous concerns that Avandia contributed to the high risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular issues. Although noting Actos heart failure was indeed a risk, doctors viewed the risk of Actos as less significant than that of the drug Avandia.

The first federal trial involving Actos litigation is slated to begin in January in Louisiana.