Federal Jury Orders $9 Billion in Damages from Makers of Actos
A U.S. federal court in Lafayette, Louisiana recently ordered Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and Eli Lilly & Co. to pay a total of $9 billion in punitive damages due to side-effects of their diabetes drug Actos. The decision is being reported as the first of its kind in the U.S.
Actos, a drug developed to control blood sugar, was later found to carry risks of cancer for its users. The large sum ordered in damages—the seventh-largest to date in the country—was due to the federal jury’s decision that Takeda knowingly hid or downplayed facts regarding the drug’s risks. Some of the major plaintiffs in the case suffer from bladder cancer, which they say they have evidence was caused by using Actos.
While the $9 billion ordered by the jury will most likely be reduced later due to other legal stipulations about the sizes of such awards, the message sent to the pharmaceutical companies should be clear.
To learn more about litigation related to the dangers of drugs like Actos, contact the prescription drug litigation attorneys at The Roberts Law Firm by calling toll-free at 866-585-4570 or by filling out a simple online form.