Federal drug regulators recently approved the first generic version of the Type 2 diabetes drug Actos. But Consumer Reports recommends that people with Type 2 diabetes avoid, if at all possible, the brand name drug Actos as well as the new generic version introduced by Mylan Pharmaceuticals.
Consumer Reports’ review of the diabetes drug notes that the active ingredient in Actos and the generic version is associated with serious side effects.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, patients who take pioglitazone, the active ingredient in Actos and in the generic version, may be at increased risk of bladder cancer. The drug also has a boxed warning that emphasizes that pioglitazone may cause or worsen heart failure.
According to Consumer Reports:
“Our medical advisers say that people with diabetes should use pioglitazone, generic or brand name Actos, only as a last resort. If you’re on the drug, ask your doctor if it’s absolutely necessary and if you should switch to another drug.”
If you have questions or concerns about the drugs you are taking, you should talk to your doctor. If you or a loved one is taking Actos and has developed bladder cancer, you should talk to a product liability attorney who understand Actos side effects.
The Food and Drug Administration has received hundreds of reports of patients taking Actos and developing bladder cancer since it issued a safety warning about the drug last year, as we’ve noted here.
I’ve focused my legal practice on representing people harmed by unsafe prescription drugs and medical devices.
Drug makers are required by law to produce and market medications that are safe and effective when used as directed. If you have been harmed, you may be eligible for compensation that can help pay your medical bills and expenses if you are facing cancer treatment. You don’t have to face treatment for bladder cancer alone. Let us help.
If you suspect that you or a loved one has been harmed by an unsafe drug, contact us at 314-932-3232 or use our online contact form for a free case review.
