The diabetes drug Invokana has become the focus of a national class-action lawsuit in Canada, CBC Nova Scotia reports. According to a statement filed in the Ontario Supreme Court of Justice, the lead plaintiff alleges that Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ new sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor was responsible for her kidney failure.
SGLT2 inhibitors, a new line of type 2 diabetes medications, work by directing excess blood sugars to be eliminated through urine. But not long after they reached the market, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert warning that SGLT2 inhibitors had been linked in adverse event reports to instances of diabetic ketoacidosis, a severe blood disease wherein the body produced too many blood acids. A month later, the Canadian government followed suit, with Health Canada launching an investigation into the adverse effects of SGLT2 inhibitors like Invokana. In addition to diabetic ketoacidosis, SGLT2 inhibitors have been linked to kidney failure and increased risk of bone fracture.
Under Nova Scotian law, according to the CBC, the new litigation must be certified as a class-action lawsuit before it can proceed—something attorneys expect will happen in the next six to seven months. The lawsuit seeks over a billion dollars in compensation for Canadian patients allegedly harmed by Invokana.
Tell your doctor about any health concerns you may have. If you or someone you know suffered from diabetic ketoacidosis or kidney failure after using Invoka or another SGLT2 inhibitor in the United States, contact the lawyers at Lopez McHugh today for a free consultation. We can help you determine whether an SGLT2 inhibitor lawsuit is right for you.
