If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bladder cancer, which you believe may have resulted from the diabetes drug Actos, you may have a legal claim for your injury or loved one’s injury and/or death. Although our lawyers who handle Actos lawsuits are located in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., we represent injured clients in complex drug litigation and medical product liability lawsuits across the country. Therefore, regardless of what state you’re from, please fill out the “Contact Us” form on the left side of this page or email us so that Ashcraft & Gerel, LLP can have a lawyer familiar with the Actos litigation contact you to discuss your potential claim.

Actos (also known as pioglitazone) is an oral diabetes medication made by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.  Actos is prescribed to treat type-2 diabetes in patients whose condition is not adequately controlled by diet and exercise alone.

Actos is in the class of drugs known as thiazolidinediones (or glitazones for short), which treat diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels and increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Actos may be prescribed alone, but it is often taken in combination with other active ingredients such as metformin (Actoplus Met) or glimepiride (duetact). A patient’s drug regimen may also include insulin or other medications in addition to those containing pioglitazone.

Serious concerns have been raised regarding the safety of Actos. A European study showed that an alarmingly high number of the participants who developed bladder cancer had been taking Actos. As a result of these findings, both France and Germany have banned the drug’s sale completely. In June 2011, The FDA issued a warning that using Actos for longer than one year may cause bladder cancer. Currently, the FDA is recommending that doctors not use pioglitazone in patients with active bladder cancer and is continuing to scrutinize the data of several Actos safety studies.

If you think you or a loved one may have suffered an injury or damages as a result of taking Actos, you owe it to yourself to speak to an experienced pharmaceutical or drug attorney at Ashcraft & Gerel to determine whether you are entitled to compensation. The lawyers at Ashcraft and Gerel, LLP have been leaders in pursuing lawsuits involving unsafe drugs and medical devices. Our attorneys have successfully obtained verdicts, settlements, awards or other recoveries in lawsuits on behalf of clients who have been injured by Fen-Phen, Propulsid, Ortho Evra, Vioxx, Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), Gadolinium based contrast agents, and many other drugs and medical devices. Importantly, we have represented clients who were injured by other drugs in the same class as Actos, including Avandia (rosiglitazone) and Rezulin (troglitazone).

We have a toll free number to reach an attorney to answer your questions with regard to your specific case. That number is 1-800-829-7037. Please ask to speak to Robert Samet, and he will place you in touch with one of our Actos lawyers. If you would prefer, please feel free to fill out the “Contact Us” form on the left side of this page or email us. Please be sure to include your name, address, telephone number (if you wish to be called), email address and the exact nature of your question, so that our lawyer can provide you with the specific information you seek about Actos lawsuits.