New York, New York”June 18, 2012” A recent study in the British Medical Journal indicates that taking Actos creates a higher risk of Actos bladder cancer than previously believed. Last year, the FDA warned that those taking the drug for longer than a year could have an increased risk of the disease, but the recent BMJ study published concluded that the risks are even higher than those estimated by the agency. Recently, BMJ published another article about another FDA regulated product, the NuvaRing birth control ring, and risks associated with it.
In a June 15, 2011 drug safety communication, the FDA warned that the 5-year results of a 10-year epidemiological study showed that taking Actos for more than a year was associated with a 40 percent increase in risk of Actos bladder cancer. More recently, however, researchers from the University of Montreal found the risk to be higher than that. Laurent Azoulay, Ph.D., and colleagues analyzed data from a large United Kingdom primary care database, and identified about 115,000 patients who had taken drugs for diabetes between 1988 and 2009. Overall, after over four years follow-up, 470 were diagnosed with bladder cancer.
After comparing those who had been diagnosed with healthy people, researchers found that individuals who had taken Actos”ever”had an 83 percent increased risk of Actos bladder cancer. Those who took the drug for two years or more, or who took higher doses of the drug, had an 88 percent increased risk. The researchers noted that doctors, patients, and regulatory agencies should be aware of this association when considering the drug for controlling blood sugar.
This study adds more evidence to previous research that indicated a connection between Actos and bladder cancer. It also supports the claims made by patients who have filed an Actos lawsuit using an Actos lawyer accusing manufacturer Takeda of failing to perform adequate safety studies prior to releasing Actos on the market and putting thousands of patients at risk.
