Study Links Actos to Kidney Disease

New Study Suggests Link Between Actos and Kidney Disease

kidney diseaseA new study, reported by Cancer Monthly, shows a link between Actos use and kidney disease.

Several personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits have been filed alleging that Actos caused the plaintiffs to develop bladder cancer, in some cases leading to the death of loved ones.

Currently, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of controversial Type 2 diabetes drug Actos, faces more than 3,000 personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, linking the drug to the development of bladder cancer in those patients that ingested Actos for two years or more.

Now, a study at the Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan looked at 35,000 diabetic patients and found that taking Actos to treat Type 2 diabetes could lead to chronic kidney disease. Potential research subjects were identified from a medical database in 2003, and followed between 2005 and 2009. Patients were divided by age, gender, duration of their diabetes, whether or not they had bladder cancer, whether or not they had ever taken Actos to treat their diabetes, and how long they had taken Actos.

About 3,497 of the patients took Actos at any time to treat their Type 2 diabetes. Of those patients, 245 (about 8.1%) developed chronic kidney disease. The rate of kidney disease among the patients who had never taken Actos was 2.3%.

The study added that, even among patients whose cumulative dose was less than 10,500 mg and who had taken Actos for less than a year to treat their Type 2 diabetes, patients who used Actos were more likely to develop kidney disease.

Currently, a US multidistrict litigation (MDL) houses 2,800 cases alleging that Actos caused bladder cancer and other serious side effects.

Two plaintiffs also recently filed separate personal injury litigation in Las Vegas, and will not join the MDL. Instead they will pursue compensation at a state-level liability trial, and are aiming for compensation of $1 billion. The two elderly women seek to recover medical bills, which they allege they would not have incurred if Actos had not caused their bladder cancer.

Actos Linked to Serious Personal Injury

Actos was the world’s most popular drug used to control blood sugar in adults with Type 2 diabetes, until it lost patent protection in 2012. However, because personal injury cases and complaints have not been in the spotlight until recently, several generic versions of Actos are on the market, without proper warning labels to indicate that the drug can lead to serious, life-limiting side-effects.

There are several side effects associated with Actos.  You should seek medical attention if you experience:

  • shortness of breath or trouble breathing,
  • chest pain,
  • extreme fatigue,
  • irregular heartbeat,
  • dilated neck veins,
  • swelling of face, fingers, feet, or lower legs,
  • decreased urine output, and
  • weight gain

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Cases, Including Against Actos

If you or a loved one have taken Actos to treat Type 2 diabetes, and have since suffered dangerous side effects including developing bladder cancer, heart disease, liver failure, or diabetic macular edema, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help with personal injury cases, including against Actos manufacturer Takeda Pharmaceuticals. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us803.252.4800

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