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Invokana Product Liability Lawsuits on the Rise

Invokana (canagliflozin) lawsuits have been popping up around the country. According to the claims brought against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and parent company Johnson & Johnson, these companies failed to warn of the possible serious side effects associated with Invokana use.

According to one complaint filed in the Eastern District of California, a plaintiff was proscribed Invokana to treat her type 2 diabetes and she took as directed. Sometime after taking it, she was hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) – a condition where the blood becomes too acidic, and can lead to serious health complications, including death.

After learning of at least 20 reports of patients with type 2 diabetes who were hospitalized for DKA after taking the drug, this past May the FDA warned doctors and patients about a possible link between Invokana and DKA. According to the FDA, DKA is a “type of acidosis that usually develops when insulin levels are too low or during prolonged fasting,” which is why DKA is most common in patients with type 1 diabetes, and is usually accompanied by high sugar levels. The FDA noted that the reports they received of patients with type 2 diabetes suffering from DKA “were not typical” because their blood sugar levels were only slightly increased compared to the greater increases normally seen in typical cases of DKA.

Recent reports associate the drug with side other effects like urinary tract infections and kidney failure. Indeed, an Invokana lawsuit filed in Canada seeks class-action status and more than $1 billion in damages on behalf of patients who were allegedly harmed by the use of Invokana. The lawsuit, filed by Rosalba Joudry, claims that she was prescribed Invokana by her doctor to manage her type 2 diabetes and a few months later, she was diagnosed with kidney failure. Joudry alleges that Janssen did not conduct adequate long-term studies on Invokana’s effect on kidney health to determine how safe Invokana was, and failed to provide adequate warnings about the risk of side effects.

If you took Invokana and you were diagnosed with DKA or kidney failure, contact our legal team to determine whether you should file a Invokana lawsuit. Bottar Law, PLLC, has decades of experience investigating and pursuing claims for cases involving products liability. To learn more about your rights, please feel free to contact the Firm by telephone, email, or by submitting an online contact form.

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