Product News and Recalls

Woman Claims Invokana Caused Her Diabetic Ketoacidosis

A Georgia woman has filed an Invokana ketoacidosis lawsuit claiming Janssen Pharmaceutical’s drug caused her to develop the potentially life-threatening blood condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Invokana (canagliflozin) is one of a new line of diabetes medications called sodium-glucose cotransport-2 (SLGT2) inhibitors. Unlike traditional insulin treatments, SGLT2 inhibitors regulate the body’s blood sugar levels by reabsorbing excess glucose in the kidneys and disposing of it through urine. Less than two years after Invokana, Farxiga, and Jardiance reached the market, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert warning that the drugs had been linked to an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis.

More and more SGLT2 inhibitor lawsuits have been filed after medical experts revealed that the drugs, in addition to possibly raising blood acid concentration to dangerous levels, may complicate diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis. More recently, SGLT2 inhibitors have also been linked to kidney failure and increased risk of bone fracture.

The Georgia woman who filed the new lawsuit claims she was prescribed Invokana in October 2013 to help treat her type 2 diabetes. Immediately, she began to experience rapid weight loss and nausea and vomiting. In early November she was admitted to a hospital and diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis. The plaintiff claims that Invokana is unreasonably dangerous, and that Janssen put her and other patients at risk of injury or death. The lawsuit states the drug’s manufacturers failed to adequately test their product and inform doctors and patients of the risks it poses.

Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about the medications you are taking. Were you or someone close to you diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis after taking Invokana or another SGLT2 inhibitor? If so, contact the lawyers at Lopez McHugh today for a free consultation, and find out whether an SGLT2 inhibitor lawsuit is right for you.