Dot Dot Studios

Although it’s been a full four months since the most recent FDA Actos bladder cancer warning, Actos continues to be prescribed to new users in the US, let alone the million or more current American users.    It’s these persons that are now at risk of developing bladder cancer after using Actos.   The first FDA Actos bladder cancer warning stated the risk of developing bladder cancer increased after using the drug for two or more years, which was then updated this past June, when the second FDA Actos bladder cancer safety notice reduced the time using Actos to increase the risk of developing bladder cancer to just one year.   The medical studies behind this warning, as well as additional Actos safety studies in Europe all indicated that taking this diabetes drug increases a person’s chance of developing bladder cancer.  The response by regulatory agencies in Europe have been far greater than that of the FDA; one country prohibited the drug’s use entirely, leading to a voluntary Actos recall, while another country prohibited all prescriptions for new Actos users.   These are serious steps, which would only be taken if the agencies felt the risk of Actos bladder cancer was high.   With close to two and half million Actos users in the US at the drug’s height, we can only wonder if the FDA Actos bladder cancer warning will turn into a recall.