An Ohio widow of a man who allegedly developed bladder cancer and subsequently died from using Actos has filed a lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceutical.

According to the lawsuit, the man took Actos from June 2002 to February 2007, at about which time he stopped taking the drug and had developed bladder cancer. He passed away in September 2007 of the bladder cancer, which the lawsuit claims was caused by Actos. The suit accuses Takeda of knowing that taking Actos could lead to an increased risk of bladder cancer and failing to disclose this information to the man, his doctor and other consumers. The suit seeks damages for extensive pain and suffering, and severe emotional distress. Actos’s side effects greatly reduced the decedent’s ability to enjoy life, the suit alleges.

More Ohio Widow Files Actos-Related Lawsuit Against Takeda

A woman has filed a lawsuit alleging that her use of Bayer’s Mirena IUD birth control device cause her to suffer from serious injuries.

According to the lawsuit, the woman was implanted with the Mirena IUD in October 2009. In April 2010, she went to her doctor’s office complaining of pain. Her physician was unable to see the strings, and could not find the IUD using ultrasound. An x-ray revealed that her Mirena IUD was within the abdominal cavity located outside the uterus. As a result, the woman had to undergo laparoscopic surgery to remove the Mirena IUD in May 2010.

More Woman Sues over Mirena IUD, Claims it Moved to Abdominal Cavity

A federal judge approved on Monday a $40 million class action settlement between Skechers USA Inc. and consumers who purchased its toning shoes.

The settlement was made after lawsuits poured in claiming that Sketcher advertisements were making unfounded statements that the company’s footwear would help people lose weight and strengthen muscles, ABC News said. U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell approved the deal, which covers more than 520,000 lawsuits.

More Federal Judge Approves $40 Million Class Action Settlement for Skechers

A $2.2 billion settlement of a federal investigation into Johnson & Johnson (J&J) sales practices has been placed on hold, as the company attempts to avoid wording in the agreement that could leave it susceptible to additional lawsuits.

Last year, J&J agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle a Justice Department investigation into allegations that the health ­products company had illegally promoted drugs, including the anti-psychotic Risperdal, The Wall Street Journal reported.

More $2.2 Billion Settlement on Hold as J&J Seeks to Hault Further Probes

Botox injections resulted in the death of a teenage boy, parents claim in a lawsuit against Allergan, the maker of the product.

The parents of the late Marcus Jarosch filed the lawsuit in Orange County Court in California. They claim Allergan illegally marketed Botox for off-label uses and failed to warn doctors or the public of its potentially lethal effects, CourthouseNews.com said.

Doctors may prescribe drugs for off-label uses, but drug companies cannot push them to do so. Judy and Kai Jarosch allege that their son’s death in June 2011 was the result of a Botox injection to treat spasticity in his legs.

More Botox Injections for Spacticity Allegedly Caused Teenager’s Death

A connection between frequent soda drinking and diabetes has been suggested in recent years, but a new study ups the ante, suggesting that just one soda a day can significantly increase the risk of diabetes.

A new study was conducted by researchers at Imperial College London who reviewed statistics from 350,000 adults in 18 European countries. Researchers found that for every 12-ounce serving of sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, the consumer’s risk of diabetes increased by 18 percent, compared to those who drink just one can or less a month, rttnews.com said.

More Study: Drinking One Soda per Day Greatly Increases Diabetes Risk

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. knowingly concealed the cancer risks associated with its diabetes drug Actos in an effort to protect more than a billion in sales, a Los Angeles jury was told in the first of more than 3,000 Actos lawsuits to go to trial.

The lawsuit’s plaintiff – Jack Cooper, a former Pacific Bell Telephone Co. cable splicer – claims he took Actos for more than two years and was diagnosed with bladder cancer in November 2011. His attorney described his condition as gravely ill, Bloomberg.com said. Throughout the trial, lawyers for the plaintiff showed jurors internal Takeda e-mails in which executives encouraged their colleagues to convince the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not to demand increased warnings about bladder cancer risk on Actos’s label, Bloomberg.com said.

More Lawyer Argues Actos Manufacturer, Aware of Cancer Link, Kept Mum

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public warning that the stimulant dimethylamylamine (DMAA) did not qualify as a legal dietary supplement. Labeling the stimulant as illegal is the quickest way for the FDA to stop further distributions of products containing DMAA.

The FDA also warned the public that DMAA may raise blood pressure, which could potentially lead to heart attacks and other health problems, the New York Times said. DMAA is most commonly used in supplements promoting weight loss, muscle building and performance enhancement. The stimulant can elevate blood pressure and could lead to cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, shortness of breath and tightening of the chest, the FDA said in its notice. DMAA can also be particularly dangerous when used with caffeine.

More FDA Labels Workout Stimulant DMAA as Illegal

There have been more than 400 lawsuits filed now in courts across the country that accuse the maker of the hair-loss drug Propecia with failing to warn of the risk of permanent sexual dysfunction associated with the medication.

According to a report from LawyersUSAonline.com, the pace of the filing of these lawsuits has picked up considerably lately, especially in the year since Merck & Co. decided to change the safety labels to reflect the risk of permanent sexual side effects. To date, there are at least 140 lawsuits consolidated as part of a federal multidistrict litigation, and 150 more were consolidated in New Jersey state court.

More Propecia Lawsuit Filings Increase Since Warning Label Updates

A Mississippi woman has filed a lawsuit alleging that the DePuy Pinnacle hip implant is defective and caused her to endure severe injuries. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, where it is one of many cases pending in the multidistrict litigation (MDL).

The woman, who is being represented by the national law firm Parker Waichman LLP, was implanted with the DePuy Pinnacle on her left side in January 2007. In December 2008, she had the Pinnacle implanted in her right side. Shortly after, the woman suffered from extreme pain, weakness and elevated cobalt and chromium levels due to the defects of the Pinnacle, the lawsuit claims. The woman says that she was unaware that her injuries were connected to her defective metal-on-metal hip implants because DePuy failed to properly warn her about the risks. The lawsuit alleges that the woman would not have had the Pinnacle implanted if she had been made were fully aware of the risks.

More Lawsuit Alleges Defective DePuy Pinnacle Hip Caused Severe Injuries