A Los Angeles jury has ruled that Takeda Pharmaceutical, the maker of diabetes drug Actos, was liable for failing to adequately warn patients that Actos can cause cancer. The jury awarded $5 million in compensatory damages to Jack Cooper, 79, and $1.5 million to his wife. Mr. Cooper took Actos for four years before he was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder in 2011.
There are currently over 3,000 pending lawsuits alleging that Actos caused bladder cancer or other health problems. These lawsuits contend that researchers for Takeda, Asia’s largest pharmaceuticals company, either ignored or tamped down concerns about Actos’ ability to cause cancer prior to going on sale in the United States. They also contend that the company misled regulators about the drug’s risks.
Cooper’s lawyer argued that even after the FDA asked Takeda to update the label warnings about Actos’ risks, the company delayed doing so. Takeda attorneys argued that Cooper was already at a high risk for bladder cancer, but the jury did not buy this argument. Other cases coming in front of the court will be even more difficult for Takeda.
The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker and our team of pharmaceutical litigation trial attorneys has numerous cases pending against Takeda for their role in failing to warn patients about the complete risk of injury when taking Actos. If you or a loved one took Actos and developed bladder cancer, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at (800) 333-0000 for a free, no obligation consultation.
