Diabetes Drug Actos and Billion-Dollar Settlement

People with type 2 diabetes may not need insulin to control their blood sugar, but they often need some medicine. Unfortunately, despite a proliferation of medications designed to help people with this condition keep blood glucose from soaring, many of these drugs have been linked to worrisome consequences.

Q. I am concerned about the Actos I take to control my blood sugar.

I’ve seen lawyers’ ads on TV and in the newspapers advising that this drug could cause cancer. At first, I thought the ads were just a money grubbing tactic. Now I am not so sure.

I recently developed some of the symptoms that were mentioned. I’ll see my doctor for tests very soon. What can you tell me about this?

A. The maker of Actos recently offered to settle thousands of lawsuits claiming that the drug had led to bladder cancer. Although the company has admitted no liability, it is likely to pay out roughly $2.4 billion to make the pending lawsuits go away.

Actos Banned in Other Countries

Drug regulators in France, Germany and India have banned Actos because of safety concerns. The drug remains on the market in the U.S.

Bladder Cancer Warning

The FDA has a warning about bladder cancer, but it is not very strong. Bladder cancer symptoms to be alert for include blood in the urine, painful or urgent urination and pain in the back or lower abdomen.

You may want to discuss the latest Actos developments with your doctor. Unfortunately, other drugs frequently used to treat type 2 diabetes, such as Januvia, have been linked to pancreatic cancer.