France, Germany Pull Actos

N.B.: IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING ACTOS, DO NOT STOP TAKING YOUR MEDICATION WITHOUT TALKING TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FIRST!!!

Thank you to AmyT and AllisonB of Diabetes Mine for alerting me to this. My mom took Actos for a short while, but stopped because it caused her to gain weight and retain fluids. It was also the wrong choice for her anyhow since she is osteopenic (has somewhat low bone density but not low enough to qualify for osteoporosis) and drugs like Actos and Avandia are known for lowering bone density.

Actos is being pulled by several European countries because it appears those who took it are more susceptible to developing bladder cancer than PWDs who did not take the drug. According to the Boston Globe, “both Germany and France suspended new prescriptions this week due to results from a new French study of 155,000 people taking Actos from 2006 to 2009. The study found about a 22 percent higher risk of bladder cancer in those taking Actos compared with diabetics taking other drugs.” Naturally, this will have an impact on Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturers of Actos, and if you’re interested in the business impact of this news, the Wall Street Journal article is HERE.

At present, no other countries are planning to pull Actos from their shelves. Of course, the lawyers are already circling the wagons.

N.B.: IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING ACTOS, DO NOT STOP TAKING YOUR MEDICATION WITHOUT TALKING TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FIRST!!!

UPDATE: The FDA has issued the following guidelines while they are reviewing the results of the research. Again, I cannot emphasize strongly enough that if you are currently taking Actos, DO NOT STOP TAKING THE MEDICATION WITHOUT TALKING TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER!


FDA recommends that healthcare professionals should: Not use pioglitazone in patients with active bladder cancer. Use pioglitazone with caution in patients with a prior history of bladder cancer. The benefits of blood sugar control with pioglitazone should be weighed against the unknown risks for cancer recurrence.


If you took Actos for at least 1 year, talk to your healthcare provider about the results of the study and what your next steps ought to be. Again, don't stop using the drug without talking to your healthcare team first!!

I was on Actos, and I’m glad to be off of it. It is a crappy replacement oral med for T2s who do not respond well to Metformin.

I was on Actos and just got taken off of it yesterday. I am so glad I did!!

So what IS a good replacement for metformin? I just started Actos this week after 1.5 yrs on Metformin.

Articles like this are right pain in ■■■ and scare tatics.

The endo’s and "official Medical community have head up ■■■ while casses and numbers double.

I was on actos multipe years and recently till I made changes, that crap was only drug that could get my numbers down.

My response was to get serious hearty exercise walking, cut diet to 1200 calories and afetr years on Actos, i got nujmbers down and booted the actos out altogether. kidneys stabalized.

Getting exercise, diet of 1200 cal and using metformin to shut down damm leaky liver put stop to nonsense.

Today a1c at 6.4 , was 13.3 before heraty exercise and timed doses of metformin.

The current understaning oif insulin resistance as permanent damage and condition is wrong , stupid and not helping anyone.

I was not on bariatric surgey, extreme diet or other tricks but; it is extremely clear that serious reduction of calorie intake seems to give body second wind contrary top all the village which doctors and their african which doctor huts with stained glass windows.

The failure to correct system hormone miscues that load bosdy with excess glucose equally stupid and unacceptable.

With cases and numbers out of control and doubling, turning up amplifier on orthodoxy useless, hopless and unacceptable.

My new endo brought this up, saying she thought it was not a big worry, but that there is a new study going on now, and that if I want to get off it some alternatives are Januvia, Onglyza or Tradjenta. She even wrote them down for me. I’m off to look those up now.

Well, let see:



The lawyers are advertising like mad on actos now and previously avendia.



My kidney doctor wanted me off that crap and I followed her advice.



SInce doing that and getting a1c down to 6.4 , my kidneys have stabalized and behaved themselves.



I am glad I am off that dog. Good luck.

And all the lawyers in Florida are asking if you took ACTOS we might get you CASH. Ambulance Chasers.

the other req is that one has gotten kidney cancer as well.

cheers.