Actos is the brand name for a diabetes medication known scientifically as pioglitazone, manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Studies that have been taking place over the last decade have linked the drug to an increased risk of bladder cancer when taken for more than 12 months.
As a result, use of the drug has been suspended in France and Germany, whilst the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that warnings must be added to the labelling on Actos to make people aware of the bladder cancer risk.
In the future, Actos may be reintroduced to the European market by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as the benefits are still seen to outweigh the risks for some type 2 diabetes sufferers. The EMA has advised doctors to keep close checks on their patients, reviewing their condition after 3 to 6 months and continuing to do so on a regular basis moving forwards.
The EMA is currently engaged in further analysis of the data in order to establish whether bladder cancer is associated with early use of the drug, or whether it is linked to sustained use with a high cumulative dose. In the US, the FDA is also continually reviewing data from an epidemiological study that has been ongoing in the US for 10 years.
Some patients have appointed legal representatives to investigate their bladder cancer claims relating to pioglitazone. The symptoms of the disease include painful urination, frequent, small trips to the toilet, blood in urine, regular urinary tract infections, abdominal back pain and lower back pain.
Find out more about living with diabetes.