The diabetes drug, Actos, may cause bladder cancer.

Actos (piogliatzaone) is prescribed to fight type 2 diabetes.  It is used in conjunction with diet and exercise to help lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetics.

Its sale has been suspended by the French and German govenrments based upon the French Medicines Agency study that found people taking Actos were more likely to develop bladder cancer, an aggressive form of cancer.

The United State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June, 2011, announced that it was reviewing Actos for a possible cancer link.  Although the FDA has not yet ordered a recall, it did note that Actos should not be prescribed to patients with a history of bladder cancer.

It appears either that the manufacturer knew of the bladder cancer link or that it failed to do adequate testing.

Actos is manufactured by a Japanese manufacturer, Takeda.  It has its American headquarters in Illinois.

Here is a list of some of the Actos drugs:

  • Actoplus Met
  • Actoplus Met XR
  • Actos
  • Duetact
  • Pioglitazone
  • Pioflitazone Hydrochloride and Metformin Hydrochloride

Possible warning signs of bladder cancer include:

  • Blood in urine
  • Pain during urination (dysuria)
  • Frequent urination
  • An urge to urinate without results

If you have any suspicions of a bladder problem related to Actos use, you should see an urologist immediately.

If you have been a user of Actos and have been diagnosed with bladder cancer, you should consult with us  so that a complete medical review can be performed as soon as possible.