On October 25, 2011, Takeda Pharmaceuticals announced the launch of ACTOSInfo.com to educate patients and health care professionals on its pioglitazone product. The drug is used to treat type 2 diabetes, but it has been lnked to life-threatening side effects such as bladder cancer. This new website includes frequently asked questions on Actos and general drug safety.
Takeda launched Actos commercially in the United States in 1999, nd more than 100 million Actos prescriptions have been written worldwide for more than 10 million patients.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration analyzed data from five-year results that noted an increased risk of bladder cancer among patients with long term exposure to pioglitazone, and an epidemiological study completed in France suggested increased bladder cancer risk with pioglitazone. France suspended the use of this dangerous drug.
According to a Takeda press release, “To better understand the relationship between Actos and bladder cancer, Takeda is currently supporting a ten-year epidemiological study.” Discussions on the increased risk of bladder cancer in patients taking Actos is included in the current Actos label and Medication Guide.
LC