Defective products and dangerous drugs attorneys have been busy with litigation over the Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. and Eli & Lilly Co. diabetes drug Actos has recently taken a significant turn for the worse. After a federal judge ruled the drug company and its subsidiary breached duties preserved by evidence in the Actos multi-district litigation (MDL). The MDL, out of Louisiana, focuses on claims stemming from suffrage caused by bladder cancer in diabetic patients. The Actos attorneys at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. investigate physicians and other healthcare professionals who have breached their duty to successfully diagnose bladder cancer in former Actos patients.

The most important piece of evidence in question is the Takeda documents, including internal executive emails, which are critical pieces of evidence in the class action suit. There has been a hold on the documents and electronic data since 2002, when the FDA first issued a warning letter concerning Actos and its potential health problems.

Initially, the FDA was concerned that Actos patients were experiencing severe fluid retention leading to congestive heart failure, and changed its labels to reflect this risk. Patients with type 2 diabetes are already at risk of heart failure, and Takeda's failure to warn patients of this additional risk is not only negligent but malicious as well.

Less than ten years after the heart failure warnings, the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged reports of bladder cancer associated with Actos. This finding was based on a ten-year study whereing findings showed that patients taking Actos for longer than one year had a 40% increased risk of developing bladder cancer. Another study published two years later in the esteemed British Medical Journal found the increased bladder risk to be more than 80%.

In 2013, a little more than fifteen thousand Americans died of bladder cancer and it is estimated that slightly less than 4% of men will develop bladder cancer in their lifetime.

Takeda's most recent actions in blatant disregard for the law. The pharmaceutical company has been proven to have destroyed documents that were critical to the class action suit, which involved approximately 3000 former Actos users, in a clear effort to avoid the inevitable responsibility of causing bladder cancer in thousands of patients.

In addition to the American recall of Actos, health agencies in Germany, France, the British Isles, and other European counties have recalled Actos because of health risks; although the FDA was far behind in its recall. Other health issues associated with Actos include fatal stomach conditions and bone fractures.

If you are a victim of Actos bladder cancer, please call Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. and speak to a defective drug attorney about what you have gone through. We have been helping victims of defective drugs for more than twenty-five years. Call 800-777-4081 for a free preliminary consultation today.