Study Links Actos to Cancer

An FDA Actos safety warning released in June 2011 concluded that exposure to Actos for more than a year can increase the risk of bladder cancer by 40%. Following the FDA’s safety warning, Takeda submitted a new Actos warning label that disclosed the risk of bladder cancer associated with use of the medication.

The new FDA approved Actos warning label comes too late for those who took the medication and were diagnosed with bladder cancer. Since the FDA Actos warning was released, a number of lawsuits were filed by people who took Actos and later contracted bladder cancer, alleging that Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Actos’ manufacturer, failed to warn them about the risks associated with the medication.

Federal laws require prescription drug manufacturers to warn patients and doctors of the potential side effects associated with their medications. When drug manufacturers fail to do this, patients are unable to make informed decisions about which medication is right for them. Because Takeda failed to warn patients about the increased risk of bladder cancer associated with Actos, they may be held legally accountable when people are impacted by those side effects