Articles Posted in Invokana

Invokana: A History of Profits, Ketoacidosis, Amputations, and Lawsuits

Published on: December 19, 2017 | By Clay Hodges

Invokana is a drug prescribed to treat people with Type 2 diabetes. The medication lowers blood sugar levels by preventing the kidneys from reabsorbing blood glucose. I’ve written often about Invokana and the studies that have identified problems with the drug, which you can read about here. I thought it may be useful to give you a history of key dates in the life-cycle of the drug, from its market release through the latest developments in the multidistrict litigation, where currently 1,000 lawsuits have been filed.

May 31, 2012. On this date Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a drug company owned by Johnson & Johnson, submitted an application to the FDA for approval of Invokana.

March 29, 2013. The FDA approves Invokana for sale. Janssen and J&J begin selling the drug.

Six Steps To Take If You Were Hurt by the Diabetes Drug Invokana

Published on: November 2, 2017 | By Clay Hodges

Diabetes is a serious condition that affects the way the body metabolizes sugar. Over 29 million Americans currently suffer from the disease. Of the newly diagnosed cases of diabetes in adults, around 95% are for Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body produces enough insulin but cannot use insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes results in high blood sugar levels which can cause long-term health problems. So what does all this mean? From the perspective of pharmaceutical companies, it means there is a massive market for Type 2 diabetes drugs. Enter the latest diabetes “wonder drug,” Invokana. Continue reading

Invokana Black Box Warning After Studies Show Higher Amputation Risk

Published on: October 27, 2017 | By Clay Hodges

Two recent clinical trials studying Invokana (canagliflozin) shed light on the diabetes drug’s alarming side effects. Canagliflozin is a type 2 sodium-glucose transport inhibitor (SGLT2 inhibitor) marketed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The medication works to lower blood sugar levels in the body by stopping the kidneys from reabsorbing blood glucose. Instead of the blood glucose staying in the body, it is removed with the body’s urine.

The clinical trials were named CANVAS and CANVAS-R, based on long scientific acronyms. The studies examined the effects of canagliflozin on patients with Type-2 diabetes. The trials discovered that leg and foot amputations occurred twice as often in patients taking canagliflozin as those treated with a placebo.

The risk for amputations broke down like this: 5.9 out of every 1,000 patients treated with canagliflozin suffered amputation, as compared to 2.8 out of every 1,000 patients treated with a placebo. Over a year’s time, the risk of amputation was 7.5 out of every 1,000 patients treated with canagliflozin, compared to 4.2 out of every 1,000 patients treated with a placebo. These are statistically significant results, meaning the risk of amputation for those people taking Invokana was large enough to cause alarm in the medical community.

In the clinical trials, amputations of the toe and middle of the foot were the most common; however, amputations of the leg, below and above the knee, also occurred. Some patients had more than one amputation.

Based on this new data, the FDA ordered new warnings, including a prominent boxed warning, to be added to the canagliflozin drug labels to explain and describe this risk. Continue reading

SGLT2 Inhibitors: An Overview of Risky Diabetes Drugs

Published on: July 11, 2017 | By Clay Hodges

Originally touted as a wonder drug, a new class of medications based on SGLT2 inhibitors promised to help those suffering from Type 2 diabetes by increasing their ability to lower and control their blood sugar, while also lowering body weight and blood pressure. Pharmaceutical companies were hoping that these new products could potentially become blockbuster drugs. Invokana and Farxiga are two examples of SGLT2 inhibitors.

But just a few years after the release of these drugs in the United States, the drug companies started facing stiff competition among themselves. Additionally, the public learned of the serious risks of taking SGLT2 inhibitors. The purpose of this blog post is to provide a quick overview of SGLT2 inhibitor drugs and the status of their litigation.

What Is a SGLT2 Inhibitor?

Invokana: Diabetes Drug Has Caused Alarming Side Effects, Lawsuits

Published on: June 7, 2017 | By Clay Hodges

Diabetes is an awful disease. It is a chronic condition that affects the way the body metabolizes sugar. Diabetes is also a growing health problem in the United States, with over 29 million Americans currently suffering from the disease. Of the newly diagnosed cases of diabetes in adults, approximately 95% are for Type 2 diabetes (sometimes referred to as adult onset). It’s also expected that one out of every three people will develop diabetes in their lifetimes.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the human body doesn’t produce enough insulin, a hormone used to help the body absorb glucose. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the human body produces enough insulin, but cannot use insulin properly. Both types of diabetes result in high blood sugar levels which can cause long-term health problems.

What does all this mean? From the perspective of pharmaceutical companies, it means there is a huge market for Type 2 diabetes drugs.

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