The trial in the case of plaintiffs Richard and Cynthia Myers begins today in West Virginia state court. Actos is a drug used to treat diabetes. It was launched in 1999 as part of a joint venture between Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. and Eli Lilly & Co. and in 2011 generated $16 billion in sales for Takeda. In June 2011, the FDA issued a safety communication (link to - https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-update-ongoing-safety-review-actos-pioglitazone-and-increased-risk) stating that the use of Actos for more than one year could cause bladder cancer. Plaintiff Richard Myers was diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking Actos for less than two years.
This trial comes on the heels of two other trials in which the defendant Takeda was hit with sizable verdicts. On October 3rd in Philadelphia, a jury delivered a $2 million verdict to a plaintiff diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking Actos and a Texas jury delivered a $ billion dollar verdict in April of 2014.