There’s yet more bad news for those that have taken the diabetes drug Actos as another study shows that patients indeed have an increased risk of bladder cancer. A new analysis of previously completed surveys shows that taking pioglitazone (Actos) raised the risk of bladder cancer by about one-fifth.
The study’s senior author, Jeffrey A. Johnson from the University of Alberta School of Public Health, says that, “The evidence suggests that this drug is associated with about a 22 percent increased risk of bladder cancer.”
This bad news isn’t the first time patients have heard about the dangers associated with Actos. A study published at the end of May in the British Medical Journal found that taking Actos for two years can double a person’s risk of developing bladder cancer.
The new study’s author says he is not sure yet how Actos actually raises the risk of bladder cancer, but that some studies of animals have shed light on the issue. Apparently the drug can cause crystals to form that irritate a person’s bladder which could potentially lead to the development of bladder cancer. Johnson was quick to point out that bladder cancer is still very rare and even with an increased risk; a person’s chance of developing the condition is still “pretty small.”
The new survey, to be published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, reviewed a number of studies that have been conducted on those taking certain diabetes medications from a class of drugs known as thiazolidinediones which appears to increase the risk of developing bladder cancer. Actos is a thiazolidinedione, as is the drug known as Avandia. These medications are used in patients with Type 2 diabetes because they make the body more sensitive to insulin, which reduces the level of insulin the body needs. Given that the drugs reduce the amount of insulin, Johnson says he believes the link between Actos and bladder cancer would be the result of a direct effect of the medication.
Attorneys at Pope McGlamry P.C. are currently taking and filing cases against manufactures to hold them liable for distributing defective products. If you or a loved one has suffered from bladder cancer and you think that it is because he or she was prescribed Actos, contact our Georgia product liability litigation attorneys today and schedule a free consultation.
Source: “Another Study Links Diabetes Drug Actos to Bladder Cancer,” by Serena Gordon, published at USNews.com.
