Rebecca Doherty, the Federal Court judge who is presiding over the Actos claim litigation, ordered this week that the lawyers representing both victims and the pharmaceutical giant Takeda meet to attempt to resolve any potential evidentiary disputes before filing motions to be heard by the court. The order, signed August 26, is commonly referred to as a “meet and confer” order–meaning the parties should actually meet and discuss the issues rather than taking the court’s time to hear protracted arguments.
This comes in anticipation of the first Bellwether Pilot Programs (BPP), or test trials, scheduled to be heard in her Lafayette, Louisiana courtroom January 27, 2014. The final pretrial conference is scheduled for January 13, 2014.
October 1st is the Discovery Deadline
Pursuant to the Second Amended Scheduling Order, October 1, 2014 is the discovery deadline, meaning that there is not much time for both sides to prepare for the trial. Those deadlines also mean that claimants who have developed bladder cancer after having taken Actos should seek immediate legal assistance to protect their legal rights by emailing me, Spencer Aronfeld, or calling our office today at 1-866-597-4529 for a free initial Actos claims consultation.
Actos came to my attention in 2011 when the FDA issued a warning that people who have taken Actos are more likely to develop bladder cancer. I then found a separate independent study done in France that also noted an increased occurrence of bladder cancer linked to patients’ taking Actos. At this time the drug had been marketed for years to millions of diabetes patients.
The FDA Ordered Takeda to Change Actos Labels
Once the FDA required that the Takeda, the maker of Actos, change its labels to warn about bladder cancer, I began personally investigating claims on behalf of people across the country who had been taking the drug, some for more than 10 years. For example, our Actos lawyers are representing a Miami Beach woman and a retired New York dentist who are both suffering with bladder cancer that we believe was caused by having taken Actos for their diabetes.
If you have taken Actos and have been diagnosed with cancer, I recommend that you contact me today for a free initial consultation. You may be eligible for compensation. I believe that Actos treated bladder cancer like some harmless side-effect, rather than a potentially fatal disease, and failed to warn both doctors and patients of the risks associated with its drug. Currently thousands of claims have been filed against Actos, and I do not want you to miss the chance to hold Actos accountable. Please email or call our Actos claims attorneys today: 866-597-4529.
