$9B Actos Bladder Cancer Settlement Gets Reduced to $37 Million

Los Angeles, CAA preliminary $9 billion settlement of a bellweather Actos bladder cancer lawsuit has been reduced to $37 million by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty of the Western District of Louisiana. This is the first Actos lawsuit to go to court alleging the diabetes drug increased the risk of bladder cancer among diabetic patients.

Doherty denied a motion by the defendants for a new trial and concluded that the punitive damages award was not “unreasonable given the evidence presented of a high degree of reprehensibility of the defendants’ conduct and the need to adequately deter such conduct in the future.”

The amended final judgment reduced punitive damages to $27.6 million against the defendant, Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and $9.2 million against Eli Lilly and Co.

Actos, also known as pioglitazone hydrochloride, is a member of a class of drugs known as thiazolidinediones, which have been linked to bladder cancer, liver disease and cardiovascular issues. Actos side effects include increased risk of congestive heart failure (CHF), increased risk of rare but serious liver problems, an increased risk of fractures, and an increased risk for bladder cancer. A black box warning exists for Actos and heart failure, however, an Actos whistleblower lawsuit suggests a previously known but downplayed link between Actos and myocardial infarction (Actos heart attack). Actos is used to treat type 2 diabetes.