• 05
  • December
    2011

Pharmaceutical giant Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. may soon be facing thousands of lawsuits in U.S. courts over its diabetes medication Actos. U.S. regulators reportedly found earlier this year that the diabetes medication increased patients' risk of developing bladder cancer.

Actos, considered the world's best-selling diabetes drug, was pulled from the market earlier this year in Germany and France after the increased risk was discovered. Back in September, the company reported that it had already been sued 54 times over the drug in federal courts in the United States.

Thousands more are expected to be filed in the coming months, especially after the fall of Avandia, which was recently found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. GlaxoSmithKline pulled Avandia from European markets and cut back on U.S. sales in 2007.

Glaxo has reportedly already paid over $6 billion in legal costs over Avandia and other medications. Sales of Actos rose significantly following the decline of Avandia.

Experts say that, because bladder cancer is a unique injury which wouldn't be caused by many other things, Actos suits will have a different flavor than Avandia suits. Takeda may also face claims that Actos was the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

According to Takeda, Actos is still effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but the company will continue to monitor the drug's safety profile.

A group of judges is currently deciding where the Actos suits should be consolidated. The consolidation of suits has the purpose of streamlining litigation and reducing costs.

Source: Bloomberg, "Takeda May Face 10,000 U.S. Suits Over Actos Cancer Claims," Jef Feeley, December 1, 2011.