In 2013, a new drug to treat type 2 diabetes was released. This medication, Invokana, was seen as a new way to help control diabetes and doctors began prescribing it to many of their patients. Unfortunately, there were a few details about Invokana use nobody knew about. Now, some experts are questioning if the medication was potentially rushed to market.
Was Invokana Fully Vetted Before Being Put on the Market?
In April 2015, a New Jersey man with type 2 diabetes started using Invokana after discussing the decision with his doctor. Eight months later, the man was taken to the hospital, where he underwent surgery to have part of his right leg amputated below the knee. For several more months he continued about his life, thinking that diabetes had claimed his leg. In May 2017, he found out that may not have been the case.
In May 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) forced the manufactures of Invokana to include a warning that the drug could increase the risk of leg amputations. This came less than two years after the FDA also forced Invokana’s manufacturer to include a warning about potential effects that could interfere with patients’ kidney function. Also known as diabetic ketoacidosis, this condition could induce life-threatening injuries.
According to reports, not long after Invokana’s release, patients taking the drug started reporting adverse side effects. Eventually, this forced the FDA’s hand, considering the manufacturer had never included a warning about such effects. The New Jersey man, who took Invokana for over a year without knowing about these devastating side effects, decided to take action.
He filed a lawsuit against the makers of Invokana. The case claims that manufacturers should have been aware of the side effects and warned the public when the medication was first released. Due to this alleged negligence, he wants the law to hold this manufacturer responsible.
In cases like this, it is not unusual for medication makers to be held responsible for the pharmaceuticals and medical devices they put on the market. Keefe Law Firm has experience dealing with defective medical product cases, and our law firm is even helping the State of New Jersey in its lawsuit against the drug manufacturers who may be responsible for causing the opioid epidemic. If you believe that your medication may have contributed to an injury you suffered, contact an attorney to make sure your rights are being fully guarded.