An Actos Products Liability Litigation consent order was signed on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 by the Honorable Robert G. James, Chief Judge of the Western District of Louisiana. The order transfers actions involving Actos Products Liability Litigation to the Honorable Rebecca F. Doherty in the Western District of Louisiana. Judge Doherty will now oversee the federal multidistrict litigation against Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., which is the manufacturer of the diabetes drug Actos.
A hearing was held on December 1, 2011 by the panel on multidistrict litigation on a motion present by plaintiffs for centralization of actions related to Actos Products Liability Litigation. On December 29, 2011, the panel filed a transfer order wherein the Western District of Louisiana was chosen as an appropriate transferee district for the Actos Products Liability Litigation. The panel noted that “…centralization in the Western District of Louisiana permits the Panel to assign the litigation to an experienced judge who sits in a district in which no other multidistrict litigation is pending.”
Actos (pioglitazone) is a medication prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and is specifically used to control blood sugar levels in adults. In June 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) published a safety communication indicating that the use of Actos for an extended period of time may increase the risk of bladder cancer in patients. In August 2011, the F.D.A. approved an update to the Actos drug label, which now includes a warning indicating that prolonged use of medicines containing pioglitazone may increase the risk of bladder cancer in patients.
Attachments:
F.D.A. Drug Safety Communication: Updated drug labels for pioglitazone-containing medicines
