Tauber Westland & Bennett is investigating reports of reports of complications associated with Actos. Prescribed for the treatment in persons with Type-2 diabetes, the drug Actos has been under investigation from a variety of sources as a possible cause of bladder cancer. In recent news the governments of both Germany and France have pulled the medication from the shelves and have stopped all sales of the drug.
Actos is prescribed for adults with Type-2 diabetes and works to maintain proper levels of sugar. It prevents the liver from producing more sugar than is necessary and allows more efficient use of the insulin that is made in the body. Actos is usually prescribed in combination with changes in dietary habits. It is not intended for those with juvenile diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Actos comes with a series of health warnings that mainly address the possibility of heart failure and lactic acidosis. There is no specific mention of bladder cancer or diabetic macular edema.
Studies Point To Link Between Actos And Bladder Cancer
The banning of Actos in France and Germany are the latest news in a series of reports made by various scientific boards in the past decade. Complaints of heart problems, fragile bones and serious eyesight conditions had been made for years by patients taking the drug, and in 2007 a major study was concluded that compared the possible health risks in persons taking either Actos or the popular drug Avandia. This study was done using patients on Medicare and concluded that the side effects often linked to Avandia, primarily heart failure, cardiovascular disease and stroke, did not seem to be present in those taking Actos. In May 2011, however, new evidence emerged that supported the link between Actos and the development of bladder cancer.
Independent European Studies
In June 2011, an official report from a scientific study group in Europe found that of the 155,000 patients monitored approximately one fifth of those developing bladder cancer had been taking the drug Actos. This resulted in a nationwide recall and banning of the medication in both France and Germany, and the news of this halting of sales prompted individuals elsewhere to take legal action.
FDA Action
The FDA had already concluded a new study that showed a disproportionate risk for those patients using Actos for Type-2 diabetes versus Avandia or other medications to show signs of developing bladder cancer.
In June of 2011, partly in response to the European studies, the FDA issued a new report for physicians indicating a possible link between Actos and bladder cancer. Doctors are advised not to prescribe this medication for those already afflicted with this disease. The FDA Safety Announcement on June 15, 2011, states, "use of the diabetes medication Actos (Pioglitazone) for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer." On August 4, 2011, the FDA approved updated labels that include safety information that the use of Actos (pioglitazone) for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
