Lawsuits Brought against Popular Type 2 Diabetes Drug

 Posted on July 21, 2014 in Defective Drugs & Treatments

Diabetes is one of the most common debilitating diseases in the U.S. today, and according to the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), an estimated 8.3 percent of the population suffers from diabetes, roughly 25.8 million Americans. However common, the disease is one of the least discussed conditions to affect so many people. In fact, the NDEP reports that an estimated 7 million people with the disease are not aware that they have it. Nearly 2 million people are diagnosed with the disease annually.

The two most common types of diabetes are Type 1 and 2. Type 1 was previously identified as early-onset or juvenile diabetes. Type 2 is by far the most common, and accounts for approximately 90 to 95 percent of all diagnoses. There is no cure for either type of diabetes, though studies have proven that regular exercise and weight loss can help prevent or delay the onset of the disease for many people. Despite these easy ways to help mitigate the effects of diabetes, the disease still costs the nation an estimated $116 billion in direct medical costs (such as hospitalizations, medical care, and treatments) every year. An additional $58 billion is spent annually on indirect costs associated with diabetes, according to NDEP, such as disability payments, time off work, and early death.

Because the disease is so well known but is not, by any means, a new disease in America, it is easy to presume that treatments have been vetted and considered. Noted by DrugWatch.com, however, a slew of recent lawsuits have been filed regarding injuries sustained from Actos, a popular drug prescribed to millions of Americans with Type 2 diabetes that is meant to control blood sugar. The drug, reported by DrugWatch, is linked “to serious, life-threatening side effects, including heart failure and bladder cancer.”

Lawsuits brought against the manufacturers of the drug allege that they failed to warn both patients and healthcare providers of the dangerous side effects, failed to properly test the drug before marketing it to the public, and “concealed testing and research data from the public,” according to DrugWatch.com.

If you or someone you know has experienced negative side effects from the Diabetes drug Actos, or any other drug prescribed to you by a physician in Illinois, you may be eligible for compensation. Do not go through it alone. Contact an Arlington Heights defective drug attorney at the law offices of Newland & Newland, LLP today.