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. The suit was brought by Terrence Allen, who began taking Actos in 2006 to treat his Type 2 diabetes. 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. The jury also awarded punitive damages of $9 billion against defendants Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co. Punitive damages are damages intended to reform or deter the defendant and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit.
