Type 2 diabetes is a condition that results in high blood glucose levels being present in the body. It is characterized by the body’s inability to use or produce enough insulin. Diabetes can be carefully managed in many cases with a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. One medication which claims to be beneficial to those living with type 2 diabetes is Invokana.
Invokana (Canagliflozin) is an oral medication that lowers blood glucose levels in the body by filtering it out through urine. The drug was first approved in the U.S. in 2013. While it was once marketed as an innovative treatment option, it is now clear that Invokana is not quite as positively ground-breaking as it first appeared.
In May 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Drug Safety Communication warning of an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis from taking Invokana. In September of the same y
ear, the FDA issued another Drug Safety Communication, this time warning of the risk of bone fractures resulting from the drug. Just a few months later, yet another Drug Safety Communication was announced, requiring that the packaging came complete with warning labels for diabetic ketoacidosis and urinary tract infections. Then, in 2016, the FDA ordered new labels again that contained warnings about Invokana’s associated kidney risks.
The FDA ruled last year that Invokana leads to an increased risk of lower limb amputations. In response to these findings, the FDA announced that it will now require a black boxed warning on all Invokana packaging to clearly display stronger warnings describing the dangerous risks involved with taking the drug.
Following on from the FDA’s rulings, Invokana manufacturers Johnson & Johnson and their subsidiary Janssen have now come under fire by many worried and angry patients. Several cases have been filed against the company by diabetic patients claiming that the company’s failure to clearly present the serious side-effects has led to life-changing complications.
To date over 1,000 cases have been listed in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey and they include examples of kidney failure, diabetic ketoacidosis, and lower limb amputations.
If you or someone you know was prescribed Invokana for type 2 diabetes and experienced the complications above, you are entitled to take legal action. Call our experienced team today at 800-529-3476.