A jury in Philadelphia this week awarded $2.3 million to a man in a lawsuit that alleged the diabetes drug Actos caused his cancer.
A day after rending the verdict, the jury slapped the drug's maker, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., with an additional $1.3 million in punitive damages after finding it had acted with "reckless indifference" for the health of plaintiff John Kristufek.
Kristufek, a retired school teacher, is the fifth Actos patient to convince a jury that the once top-selling drug causes bladder cancer.
Among other things, Kristufek and other former Actos users argued that Takeda's executives ignored or downplayed concerns about the drug's cancer-causing potential before it was brought to market in the U.S. in 1999, and that they misled regulators about the medicine's risks.
Osaka, Japan-based Takeda is also facing thousands of other cases involving Actos in jurisdictions across the country.
Ross Feller Casey is among the nation's leading law firms handling mass tort pharmaceutical cases.
If you or a loved one was injured by a dangerous drug, you should contact one of the Philadelphia pharmaceutical lawyers at Ross Feller Casey soon. We offer a free initial consultation, and handle all cases on a contingency basis, meaning you will not pay a thing unless a financial recovery is made in your case.
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