Actos Manufacturer's Lawyers Agree With Plaintiff Motion For Consolidation

Pre-trial Federal Actos bladder cancer lawsuits have been combined for litigation after lawyers for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the drug, agreed with an August motion by two plaintiffs that all cases should be consolidated; however, they do not agree on where the proceedings should take place.

In late September, Tadeka lawyers filed a letter of response with the United States Judicial Panel, agreeing with the multidistrict litigation, but they also wished for the cases to be held in the Northern Distinct of Illinois, where the company’s headquarters are located. They also proposed that the cases be heard in the Western Distinct of Louisiana because there are over a dozen cases pending in that region.

According to Tadeka Pharmaceuticals, there are at least 54 cases that have been filed in various federal districts across America. New complaints continue to arise, and more cases are expected to emerge. The first lawsuit against Actos was filed on July 29 of this year.

Every lawsuit involves similar claims that the side effects of Actos caused the development of bladder cancer in those who took the drug. In addition, the plaintiffs claim that Tadeka failed to conduct thorough research on the effects of taking the drug and did not properly warn potential users against the risks involved.

Attorneys for the drug company do not agree with any of the claims launched against Tadeka by the plaintiffs, but they agree that the cases should be consolidated for multidistrict litigation. They also agree that consolidation will lessen the chances of conflicting rulings and duplicate discovery.

In July 1999, the FDA approved Actos for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. The drug was formulated to help the body control blood sugar levels. To this day, it is a very popular medication which generated over $4 billion dollars in sales for Tadeka Pharmaceuticals last year.

In September of 2010, after a 10- year study, the FDA began looking into the risks of taking Actos. The decade long study revealed that the risk was for developing bladder cancer increased significantly with long use of the drug.

France recalled Actos in June of this year after studies showed a risk for an increase in users developing bladder cancer. The European Medicines Agency reviewed the drug’s link to bladder cancer and issued new warnings about taking the drug. In addition, they called for a six-month investigation into all patients who took Actos.

On December 1, the United States Judicial Panel will begin listening to oral arguments on the motion to consolidate the cases against the drug Actos. The proceedings will take place in Savannah, Georgia.