After a recent study linked Invokana to a tripled increased risk of kidney cancer, our lawyers opened an investigation into reports of patients on Invokana who developed kidney cancer.
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 has been diagnosed with kidney cancer after taking Invokana, 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 toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Study Links Invokana and Kidney Cancer
Invokana was linked to a tripled increased risk of kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) in a study of over 10,000 patients with a high risk of cardiovascular events in a study that was published by the New England Journal of Medicine in August 2017. After approximately 3.5 years, the rate of kidney cancer was 0.6 patients on Invokana (canagliflozin) vs. 0.2 patients on a placebo (sugar pill) per 1,000 patient-years, for a 3-fold increased risk.
What is Renal Cell Carcinoma?
Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer. Around 90% of kidney cancers are RCC. It occurs when cancerous cells form in the lining of the tubules in the kidneys. Tubules are very small tubes in the kidneys that filter blood, clean the blood, make urine, and remove toxins from the bloodstream.
Types of Renal Cell Carcinoma
- Clear cell renal cell carcinoma
- Papillary renal cell carcinoma
- Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma
- Collecting duct RCC
- Multiocular cystic RCC
- Medullary carcinoma
- Mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma
- Neuroblastoma-associated RCC
Over 1,000+ Invokana Lawsuits Filed
Our law firm has noticed an uptick in the number of inquiries related to Invokana and the subsequent diagnosis of kidney cancer. Over 1,000 lawsuits have already been filed by people who were injured by Invokana side effects, including multiple people who took Invokana and developed kidney failure due to severe infections or ketoacidosis.
Invokana and the Kidneys
Invokana (canagliflozin) is a medication that helps people with type-2 diabetes control their blood-sugar levels. It works by forcing the kidneys to remove excess sugar from the body in urine. Because Invokana relies so heavily on the kidneys, the FDA recommends that patients have their kidney function tested before they start Invokana.
FDA Warns of Kidney Injury Risk on Invokana
In June 2016, the FDA strengthened kidney warnings for Invokana after receiving over 100 reports of patients who developed acute kidney injury, with some patients requiring hospitalization or kidney dialysis. Acute kidney injury is a life-threatening condition in which the kidneys suddenly stop working, causing dangerous levels of wastes to build up in the bloodstream.
What is Invokana?
Invokana (canagliflozin) is a prescription medicine that is used with diet and exercise to lower blood-sugar levels in adults with type-2 diabetes. Invokana belongs to a class of drugs called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. It was developed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a part of Johnson & Johnson, and approved by the FDA in March 2013.
How Does Invokana Work in the Kidneys?
Invokana works by reducing the amount of sugar that the body is able to absorb from the bloodstream as the blood is filtered through the kidneys. The kidneys flush the excess sugar out of the body in urine, which is why Invokana helps with weight-loss, and also why Invokana is such a powerful diuretic.
Invokana Side Effects
Because Invokana is such a powerful diuretic, it can cause dehydration, dangerously low blood pressure, and make some people feel dizzy or faint. Over a longer period of time, Invokana patients may lose weight because Invokana reduces the absorption of sugar.
What is the Problem?
Invokana is a new type of medication with unknown long-term risks. Cancer takes years to develop and it is relatively rare, so it can be a long time before experts are sure that a medication increases the risk.
By that time, it is not uncommon for thousands of people to have been diagnosed with cancer. This was the case when over 10,000 people who took the diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone) and developed bladder cancer filed lawsuits against Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
As more people take Invokana and researchers study these patients, an alarming number of additional side effects have been discovered. The FDA has been forced to update the label on Invokana multiple times to add side effects like kidney injury, ketoacidosis, amputations, bone fractures, infections, Fournier’s gangrene, and more.
What is Kidney Cancer?
Kidney cancer, also called “renal cancer,” is a disease that occurs when malignant cells begin to multiply and grow uncontrollably in the kidneys. These cancerous cells can create tumors in the kidneys, or metastasize and spread to other parts of the body.
What is the Risk of Kidney Cancer?
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 63,340 new cases of kidney cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2018, and about 14,970 people will die of this disease. The rate of kidney cancer has been rising since the 1990s. Overall, the lifetime risk for developing kidney cancer in men is about 1 in 48, and for women it is 1 in 83. The risk may be even higher for people with type-2 diabetes.
What are the Symptoms of Kidney Cancer?
- Blood in the urine
- Lump on the abdomen
- Low back pain on one side
- Loss of appetite
- High blood pressure
- Weight-loss for unknown reasons
- Fever that lasts for weeks
- Feeling extremely tired
- Anemia (not enough red blood cells)
- High levels of calcium in the blood
- Swelling in the ankles or legs
- Night sweats
- Fever
Can Diabetes Cause Kidney Cancer?
Type-2 diabetes is one of many risk-factors for kidney cancer, according to numerous studies. One study of more than 100,000 women that was recently published in Diabetes Care showed that women with diabetes were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the most common type of kidney cancer.
How is Kidney Cancer Diagnosed?
A doctor may suspect a diagnosis of kidney cancer based on symptoms, medical history, and a physical examination. The doctor may also order blood tests, urine tests, and imaging tests like an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI to get a better look at the kidneys. If these imaging scans are abnormal, the doctor may need to remove a sample of kidney tissue (biopsy) to look at the cells under a microscope and check for cancer.
What is a Nephrectomy?
A nephrectomy is when a doctor removes part of one of the kidneys, or sometimes the whole kidney, to check it for renal cell carcinoma. This test is only used when a doctor has found a tumor but isn’t sure if it is cancer. In some cases, patients have a “renal adenoma,” which is a benign (non-cancerous) tumor. Adenomas are small, slow-growing tumors that are often found on imaging tests (such as CT scans).
How is Kidney Cancer Treated?
Treatment options for kidney cancer may include surgery to remove one or both kidneys, or just a small part of the kidney that is cancerous. The surgery may be performed before or after radiation therapy. Other options include anti-cancer drugs, such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and sometimes chemotherapy.
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 has been diagnosed with kidney cancer after taking Invokana, 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 toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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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.
