Best-selling blood sugar drug Invokana® (generic: canagliflozin) can cause complications such as ketoacidosis and liver damage. Type 2 diabetics began filing Invokana lawsuits in July 2015 after the Food and Drug Administration warned about SGLT2 inhibitors. The agency issued a statement regarding 506 ketoacidosis adverse event reports and 310 kidney injury reports from patients taking Invokana. Ketoacidosis is a serious medical condition caused when the body produces excessive blood acids known as ketones, often requiring hospitalization. Since July 2015, Invokana litigation at both the state and federal levels has accelerated. Now plaintiffs are seeking justice in court, asking juries to hold Invokana’ manufacturer accountable for the drug’s life-altering health risks.
Invokana Litigation Update: New Jersey MDL Consolidation Moves Forward
In December 2016, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered 55 Invokana cases consolidated in New Jersey federal court. All 55 Invokana litigation cases claim Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, didn’t conduct proper premarket safety testing. Moreover, the company didn’t warn patients about potentially severe medical problems associated with taking SGLT2 inhibitors like Invokana. Because the panel found all 55 Invokana litigation claims were substantially similar, MDL consolidation should effectively address all plaintiffs’ concerns. Claim centralization eliminates duplicate discovery efforts, prevents inconsistent pretrial rulings and ensures that all plaintiffs have equal representation in court.
This Invokana MDL combined 29 New Jersey lawsuits with claims from other district courts, including California, Georgia, and Illinois. The judicial panel excluded 44 related federal actions from MDL 2750, but could include them in the future.
The panel considered including claims against similar SGLT2 inhibitors, like Farxiga® (dapagliflozin) and Jardiance® (empagliflozin), but ultimately decided against it. This decision primarily came because Farxiga and Jardiance are marketed as well as distributed by Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical competitors. The currently approved New Jersey MDL covers only Invokana litigation claims and cases involving its sister SGLT2 inhibitor drug, Invokamet.
Invokana Litigation Next Steps: Pretrial Proceedings & Bellwether Selections
The next steps in moving the Invokana litigation MDL forward include coordinated pretrial proceedings and bellwether trials (none yet scheduled). Bellwether trials help gauge how juries respond to evidence and testimony presented during Invokana litigation hearings. If Janssen doesn’t reach Invokana settlements during selected bellwether trials, each individual case returns to U.S. District Court. If that happens, each plaintiff participating in MDL 2750 must file for a separate individual trial going forward.
The New Jersey MDL could eventually hold thousands of Invokana litigation claims. As more individuals realize they’ve developed life-changing health complications while taking the drug, the Invokana litigation caseload should grow accordingly.
Do You Have An Eligible Claim?
If you or a loved one developed ketoacidosis or another serious condition while taking Invokana, you may qualify for compensation. While no plaintiffs have yet won settlements, Janssen faces mounting Invokana litigation claims under the New Jersey MDL. To see if you may be eligible for financial compensation, fill out your free Invokana claim evaluation form today.
Related:Invokana Lawsuit Information – SGLT2 Inhibitor Injury Claims
Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.