Enough plaintiffs have joined the $2.3 billion Actos settlement, that Takeda Pharmaceuticals is going to proceed with the deal, FiercePharma reports. Last month it was unclear whether the Japan-based company would be able to attract enough plaintiffs by the September 11 deadline. But according to Takeda, 96% of Actos plaintiffs joined the settlement before the deadline. If that number rises to 97%, the company will increase the total payout to $2.4 billion.
Actos is not the only diabetes drug facing legal scrutiny. Popular incretin mimetics like Januvia and Byetta have also accumulated lawsuits. Plaintiffs who have filed Byetta and Januvia lawsuits claim companies like Merck and AstraZeneca marketed their drugs despite the increased risks they pose of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
Meanwhile, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a new class of type 2 diabetes drugs, are causing their own stir. SGLT-2 inhibitors like Janssen Pharmaceutical’s Invokana have been linked to diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially fatal blood condition, and increased rates of hip and spinal fractures.
Roughly 8,000 Actos lawsuits are pending in state and federal courts. Actos lawsuits claim that Takeda had evidence of bladder cancer risk as early as 2004, but concealed them from the public to protect profits.
Consult your doctor about any health concerns you may have. If you or someone close to you suffered an injury after taking a diabetes drug such as Januvia or Invokana, contact the pharmaceutical attorneys at Lopez McHugh today to receive your free consultation. You may qualify for legal compensation.
