A federal court jury in Lafayette, Louisiana found that the manufacturers of the diabetes drug, Actos, failed to warn users that Actos could cause bladder cancer. Ā The suit was brought byĀ Terrence Allen, who began taking Actos in 2006 to treat his Type 2 diabetes. Ā He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2011. Six months later, Takeda changed the Actos warning label to reflect new warnings from the FDA that taking Actos for more than a year might be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
The jury found that the plaintiff suffered compensatory damages of $1.475 million. Compensatory damages are damages meant to compensate an injured party for his loss or injury. Ā The jury also awarded punitive damages of $9 billion against defendantsĀ Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co. Ā Punitive damagesĀ Ā areĀ damagesĀ intended to reform or deter theĀ defendantĀ and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit.