FAQ
The FDA approved Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ drug Actos in 1999 and Actosplus Met in 2005 to treat Type 2 Diabetes by lowering blood sugar and reducing the amount of glucose the liver releases. Eli Lilly worked with Takeda to market Actos and make it a best-selling diabetes medication. In June 2011, the FDA released an alert based on numerous studies warning consumers that prolonged and high-dose use of Actos can cause an increased risk of bladder cancer. The FDA forced Takeda to update the warning on Actos’ boxes to include that the drug “may be associated with a 40 percent increased risk of bladder cancer.” Actos is no longer sold in Europe due to its bladder cancer risk and other complications but remains on the U.S. market.
Following the FDA’s alert, patients and their families began filing lawsuits against Takeda, claiming that Actos caused them to develop bladder cancer. In December 2011, a multidistrict litigation was established in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana by Judge Rebecca Doherty to consolidate the thousands of lawsuits filed against Takeda.
In 2012, a whistleblower from Takeda came froward claiming the company had knowingly concealed information about Actos’s connection to bladder cancer and other serious cancers and side effects. In November 2014, jurors found that Takeda intentionally destroyed documents relating to the development and marketing of Actos and ordered Takeda to pay $155,000.
In April 2014, in a major bellwether trial for the MDL, a Louisiana jury awarded a plaintiff who developed bladder cancer after taking Actos with $9 billion in punitive damages and $1.5 million in compensatory damages. A judge later reduced this award total to $36.8 million, but this bellwether trial and its verdict represents a substantial victory against Takeda and Eli Lilly for their deceptive practices relating to Actos.
Following this and several similar bellwether case, in April 2015, Takeda announced it would pay $2.4 billion in settlements to resolve Actos lawsuits across the U.S. While many plaintiffs have signed up to participate in the settlement, other lawsuits are proceeding in state and local courts in California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Seeger Weiss played a crucial role in securing this substantial settlement from Takeda in 2015 and continues to represent plaintiffs seeking compensation for harm caused by taking Actos and Takeda’s deceptive practices.
Seeger Weiss has represented hundreds of clients in drug injury litigation. If you would like to know more or you have questions about drug injury litigation, a free consultation may help evaluate your case and determine your eligibility for compensation.
Actos Lawsuit Settlements
Takeda and Eli Lilly have faced an estimated 10,000 Actos lawsuits filed by patients and family members of those who were harmed by Actos. Lawsuits have been filed for bladder cancer, bone fracture, kidney disease and other injuries.
About 5,000 federal lawsuits were consolidated into multidistrict litigation in The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. After losing several bellwether cases, Takeda settled about 9,000 of the Actos lawsuits in 2015 for an estimated $2.4 billion. More lawsuits may have been filed or may still be pending in state and local courts in California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Actos’ manufacturer, Takeda may also be facing antitrust lawsuits for misleading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about its patents which improperly delayed generic medications becoming available.
*Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.