Takeda May Face 10,000 Lawsuits in US Over Actos Bladder Cancer

Washington, DCTakeda Pharmaceutical Co., Asia's biggest drugmaker, could face up to 10,000 lawsuits in US courts over Actos bladder cancer allegations, according to Bloomberg.

The news source reported that the high number of cases that could be brought forward has led to a group of judges meeting to decide whether these lawsuits should be consolidated.

The high number of lawsuits came following findings by US regulators in June, concerning patients who took the best-selling diabetes medication. These individuals allegedly faced an increased risk of developing the potentially fatal bladder cancer.

One New York-based lawyer told the news source that the evidence linking Actos to bladder cancer "is unusually strong and clear." He noted that the findings have led to an increased number of calls from potential clients.

The developments in the US came after Takeda pulled the drug off the market in Germany and France after it was initially linked to an increased cancer risk. According to the news source, the company released a statement to address the recent negative news.

"Takeda already revised the information on risks regarding bladder cancer on leaflets in the U.S. and Japan and is in the process of updating in Europe," Mitsuo Oguri, a Takeda spokesman in Tokyo, told Bloomberg. "Takeda remains confident on the efficacy of pioglitazone for treating type 2 diabetes, while it continues to monitor the safety profile of the medicine."

Though Takeda is beginning to circulate information regarding the potential side effects for the medication, individuals who allegedly got cancer from taking Actos say they would have never tried the drug if they had knowledge about the harm it may cause.

"If somebody had told me I could get cancer from Actos, I never would have taken it," an individual who had surgery to remove the cancer, told the news source. "There were other products out there that could have helped treat my diabetes without putting me through all of this."

Diabetes.co.uk reported that Takeda became a popular treatment after alleged heart attack controversy for another drug, Avandia, arose.