Over 1,000 lawsuits have been filed by people who took the diabetes drug Invokana and developed a severe side effect, such as kidney failure or diabetic ketoacidosis. The FDA has also issued warnings about amputations, infections, bone fractures, and more.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Invokana induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with a severe side effect, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
UPDATE: Invokana Lawsuits Centralized in New Jersey MDL
In December 2016, a panel of federal judges centralized nearly 100 lawsuits involving side effects of Invokana and Invokamet into a Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2750). The litigation will be coordinated in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey under Judge Brian R. Martinotti — the same venue lawyers requested in a motion filed in September.
Invokana MDL vs. Class Action
A larger number of Invokana lawsuits have already been filed, but not as part of a class action. Instead, they are individual lawsuits that have been centralized in one court, under one judge. This “mass-tort” or Multi-District Litigation (MDL) has many of the advantages of a class action. Lawyers can coordinate discovery, trials, and settlement negotiations. Unlike a class action, each lawsuit in an MDL remains independent.
Ketoacidosis Lawsuits
In December 2015, the first lawsuits (PDF) were filed against Janssen Pharmaceuticals by people in Alabama and Pennsylvania who took Invokana and were diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis. Plaintiffs accuse Janssen of negligence for failing to warn about side effects or test Invokana for safety. The drug-maker is also accused of marketing Invokana for “off-label” (unapproved) uses. Click here to read more.
Kidney Failure Lawsuits
A growing number of lawsuits have also been filed by people who developed kidney failure from Invokana. They say Janssen should have anticipated the risk, but instead only warned that “kidney problems” were a “possible side effect.” The label did not specifically address the risk of kidney failure or describe the extent of kidney problems associated with Invokana.
Invokana and Ketoacidosis
One of the most severe side effects of Invokana is diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening emergency involving too much acid in the bloodstream. Invokana is associated with a much higher risk of this side effect than other SGLT2 inhibitors, according to clinical trial data.
FDA Safety Warnings for Ketoacidosis
In May 2015, the FDA issued a Safety Communication after linking 20 cases of ketoacidosis diabetes drugs in the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor class.
In December 2015, the FDA updated the label on Invokana and issued another Safety Communication. This time, the FDA reported 73 cases of ketoacidosis between March 2013 and May 2015. All of the patients were hospitalized or treated in an emergency department.
What is the problem?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is a nationally-recognized law firm, but our team of trial attorneys are not filing a class action lawsuit for people who were injured by Invokana. Instead, we are filing individual lawsuits against Janssen Pharmaceuticals. We are only taking cases involving the most serious side effects of Invokana, such as:
- Amputations
- Bone fractures
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Metabolic acidosis
- Heart attack
- Infections
- Urosepsis
- Pyelonephritis
- Kidney failure
- Stroke
- Urinary tract infections
- Fournier’s gangrene (necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum)
- Kidney cancer
About Class Actions
You may have already been part of a class action lawsuit settlement. They are a popular way to resolve legal disputes involving large numbers of people. Everyone joins together and collectively seeks compensation for the same legal claim. If compensation is awarded, everyone shares the payout.
Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits as Opposed to a Class Action
Class action lawsuits can have major disadvantages for people who were severely injured by a defective medication. They may have to accept high attorneys’ fees or a “low-ball” settlement. Even if a settlement is awarded, it must be divided among everyone in the class action.
Our attorneys understand that many of our clients are suffering devastating losses to their physical, emotional, and financial health. We file individual lawsuits because we believe personal legal representation is the best way we can help people who were injured by defective drugs. If you decide to file a lawsuit, you could receive compensation for your pain and suffering, medical expenses, permanent injuries, and more.
Do I have an Invokana Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Invokana induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was diagnosed with a severe side effect, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
