Darin Andrews filed a lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, claiming the drug company’s negligent manufacturing and marketing of the drug Actos resulted in his bladder cancer.
 
In June 2011, after studies revealed an association between long-term Actos use and an increased risk of bladder cancer, the FDA ordered Tadeka Pharmaceuticals to update the warnings and precautions section on the label to reflect these findings. Andrews took Actos from April 2011 to July 2011 and was diagnosed with bladder cancer in October 2011, according to AboutLawsuits.com.
 
In his complaint, Andrews accused Tadeka Pharmaceuticals of knowing the dangers posed to patients taking Actos. He blamed the drug company for failing to modify the drug or adequately warn patients and medical professionals of the risk associated with the drug. Had he been properly warned, he claims, he would have considered other alternatives for managing his type 2 diabetes.
 
Andrews filed the lawsuit last month, according to AboutLawsuits.com.  Bloomberg News reported on March 13, 2012, that Takeda Pharmaceuticals could encounter somewhere around 10,000 lawsuits from Actos users in the U.S. who have experienced the drug’s severe side effects.
 
Actos, known generically as pioglitazone, belongs to a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones, which increase insulin sensitivity in individuals with type 2 diabetes. According to MedicineNet, type 2 diabetes occurs when a person’s body either cannot produce enough insulin or cannot process the insulin produced to supply the body’s cells with the necessary sugars.
 
Actos may pose a cancer risk due to chronic irritation of the bladder from crystal formation caused by the drug, according to the research team at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Their recent study also indicates that Actos users’ risk of developing bladder cancer could be as high as 83 percent.
 
According to MedicineNet, bladder cancer starts in the innermost layer of the bladder, but it can continue to spread to other layers, as well other organs of the body. Common symptoms of bladder cancer include:
 

• Bloody urine
• The need to urinate frequently
• A painful or burning sensation when urinating

 
If you are experiencing these symptoms while taking Actos, please contact your physician immediately.