Doctors regularly prescribe Invokana to help treat type 2 diabetes — even with its controversial past. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel approved Invokana in 2013 with a 10-5 vote. Several panel members believed Invokana side effects — including for people with kidney disease — were too risky. The whole panel called on Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, to closely monitor patients in post-marketing studies. Thanks to additional research, Invokana is now linked to serious complications like ketoacidosis, stroke, kidney damage and amputations. As a result, injured patients are filing claims against Janssen with help from an Invokana lawyer. A federal judicial panel approved a multidistrict litigation (MDL 2750) last year to consolidate these cases.
Why Do Some Type 2 Diabetics Need an Invokana Lawyer?
If you’re a type 2 diabetic and experience serious complications with this drug or Invokamet, you need an Invokana lawyer. (Invokamet is the time-release version, and both it and Invokana contain the active ingredient canagliflozin.) The side effects listed below require an Invokana attorney to secure a cash settlement for you from the drug’s manufacturer:
- Amputations. An Invokana amputation specifically indicates you lost a toe, foot, or had your leg cut off below the knee. In May 2017, the FDA released a black box warning for Invokana informing diabetics it doubles their risk for amputations. The federal agency based this latest warning on results from the CANVAS and CANVAS-R clinical trials. These studies found twice as many subjects lost toes, feet and legs while taking Invokana than the placebo group.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This condition is a known yet rare side effect for type 2 diabetics on Invokana, but also possibly fatal. To help lower your blood sugar, Invokana triggers your kidneys to release excess glucose through urine. When there’s too little glucose available to convert into energy, ketone production occurs instead, which makes your blood very acidic. This can result in DKA, which can easily kill you if you don’t seek medical treatment.
- Kidney damage/renal failure/chronic kidney disease. When the filtration system in your kidneys becomes damaged and no longer functions properly, you’re in renal failure. Because Invokana places additional stress on your kidneys, this delicate system can easily lose functionality in a matter of months.
These complications can kill patients or shave years off their life spans. But an Invokana lawyer can hold Janssen accountable for minimizing these risks and get the justice and compensation you deserve.
Top Six Reasons to Get Help From an Invokana Lawyer
There are several reasons to speak with an Invokana lawyer now if you’ve experienced any side effects. While it’s possible to join some MDLs or class action filings without an attorney, for Invokana, the clock’s already ticking. Here are some reasons to speak with an Invokana attorney now and how it may benefit your case:
1. It’s the fastest way to know if you’re eligible for compensation
Every state has its own deadlines for filing a lawsuit for drugs and medical devices. This is called the “statute of limitations.” An Invokana lawyer in your area can tell you whether you still have time to file a claim for compensation. An experienced Invokana lawyer in our network can give you the most up-to-date information and evaluate your eligibility for compensation. It’s vital to contact an Invokana attorney today and get the claim process started. Otherwise, you could miss the filing deadline and disqualified from any cash settlements that Janssen agrees to pay injured patients.
2. An Invokana lawyer can file your case, then get your claim transferred under MDL 2750
If you eventually decide to join the MDL, you’ll need an Invokana lawyer to file your case. The lead Invokana lawyer representing class members will be thorough and efficient, presenting the best possible evidence to the presiding judge. Once you’re transferred under the MDL, they may even work with you directly if you’re selected for a bellwether trial. Otherwise, your own Invokana lawyer can handle all the paperwork and appear on your behalf in court, if needed.
3. Judge Martinotti ordered bellwether trials for September 2018
The clock on the Invokana MDL is ticking, and Janssen could easily choose to settle before trials head to court. The initial discovery phase is coming to a close shortly, so if you have a case to present, it’s important to act now. To take part, you’ll need to have an Invokana lawyer file your claim before this year’s bellwether trials start. Otherwise, you could lose your chance to file and get paid for your injuries.
4. If you join the MDL, you’ll get your case heard faster
There’s always a deadline to join mass-tort lawsuits like Invokana, and this one will pass before 2018 ends. If you join the MDL today, you’ll get your case heard faster than you would filing an individual lawsuit afterward. You’ll also be eligible for any payouts that Janssen makes to class members. These MDLs help speed up the process and resolve Invokana claims in just months. Individual claims take much longer to resolve and don’t always result in cash settlements for injured plaintiffs.
5. If and when Janssen settles after your claim’s joined the MDL, you’re already covered
What if you haven’t yet filed a claim or joined the MDL, but J&J and Janssen decide to settle? Anyone who hasn’t filed a claim when the settlement occurs may miss their chance for compensation. Why risk losing your chance to medical bills from those unexpected side effects covered? An Invokana lawyer can demand both punitive and actual damages for your side effects. If the judge rules in your favor, you’ll get money for medical costs, lost wages, and even pain and suffering.
6. You’ll do your part to protect other type 2 diabetics in the future
Consumers have to hold drug companies accountable for failing to warn them about life-threatening side effect risks. Big pharmaceutical companies like Janssen often put their own profits above patient safety. They conceal evidence or fail to disclose serious side effects to better protect their bottom line. As a result, patients suffer. Individuals and families alike suffer as loved ones lose their quality of life — or die due to undisclosed side effects. When you secure an Invokana lawyer and transfer your claim to the MDL, you’re doing your part to stop it.
Invokana Maker Janssen Pharmaceuticals Recently Settled Similar Lawsuits for Undisclosed Side Effects
Invokana isn’t the first drug that recently landed Janssen in court due to undisclosed side effects. The company also manufactures Risperdal, a popular antipsychotic drug used to treat bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and autism. The FDA originally approved Risperdal to treat autism in adult patients only, despite Janssen heavily promoting it for pediatric use. Janssen sent Risperdal-branded toys and candy for pediatricians to hand out while prescribing it off-label to autistic children. In addition to illegal marketing practices, Janssen failed to disclose one life-changing side effect risk just for young boys: gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia is a condition where a hormonal imbalance makes the brain produce excess estrogen, causing male breast tissue to swell. (This side effect risk doesn’t apply to girls, only boys who start taking Risperdal before their 16th birthday.) After his neurologist prescribed Risperdal for Tourette’s, one middle school boy in Wisconsin faced years of teasing from his classmates. After starting Risperdal at 12, the boy’s breasts grew so large that he eventually needed a double mastectomy at 18.
Janssen recently settled this particular failure to warn case for $535,106. Since then, the court has cleared the way for punitive damages in the plaintiff’s case. But this case is just the latest failure to warn claim Janssen settled for undisclosed side effects. In 2016, a jury ordered Janssen to pay one plaintiff $70 million for failing to warn about Risperdal’s gynecomastia risk. Could Invokana claims produce similar settlements for injured diabetics? With several thousand Invokana claims now pending against the company, only time will tell.
Connect With an Experienced Invokana Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one experienced serious side effects after taking Invokana or Invokamet for 90 days, act now. We can connect you with an experienced Invokana lawyer who can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve. To see if you may qualify for a cash settlement, complete your free Invokana online claim evaluation today. Once you’ve submitted your information, an Invokana lawyer will call to discuss your case.
Related: Are SGLT2 Inhibitors like Invokana Worth the Risk?
Mandy Voisin
Mandy Voisin is a freelance writer, blogger, and author of Girls of the Ocean and Star of Deliverance. As an accomplished content marketing consultant, mom of four and doctor's wife, Mandy has written hundreds of articles about dangerous drugs and medical devices, medical issues that impact disabled Americans, veterans' healthcare and workers' compensation issues since 2016.