Managing type 2 diabetes isn’t easy. Your doctor will probably advise you to change your diet and add exercise to your daily routine, but sometimes if these lifestyle updates don’t get the results that are needed, he or she might prescribe a medication to lower your glucose levels. However, taking medication comes with risks, and countless patients who have taken Invokana and Invokamet (canagliflozin) are now having to live with the stress of kidney failure, the effects of a stroke or the difficulties of a toe, foot or leg amputation. If you or a loved one have taken Invokana and have experienced a painful injury, then here is some important information that you need to know.
There are several signature injuries that have been associated with Invokana and Invokamet including:
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) - The FDA reported on May 15, 2015 that 20 cases had been reported of people suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when the body cannot process glucose as a fuel source because there is either too little or no insulin. The body then starts to break down fat for energy which produces ketones that can build up in the body. Too many ketones in the body can be toxic.
Kidney Injuries - On June 14, 2016 the FDA reported that from March 2013 to October 2015, they received over 101 confirmed cases of patients who had acute kidney injuries who required hospitalization and dialysis. Acute kidney injury (AKI) involves sudden kidney failure or damage and occurs when waste products build up in your blood. This makes it hard for your kidneys to keep the right balance of fluid in your body and can happen within just hours or days. AKI can also damage other organs such as the brain, heart, and lungs.
Heart Attack - According to an FDA panel meeting, there was evidence in clinical trials that Invokana and Invokamet might be associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE+) including heart attacks and strokes.
Stroke - Janssen Pharmaceuticals presented information pertaining to the ongoing Cardiovascular Assessment Study (CANVAS) which involves 4,330 individuals with cardiovascular disease or a high risk for cardiovascular disease. In the first 30 days of taking Invokana and Invokamet, the test group was found to have a 46 percent elevated risk of stroke. (Heart attack and stroke risks were both attributed to blood clots.)
Amputations - As recently as May 16, 2017, the FDA put out a black box Safety Alert warning patients of the potential dangers of Invokana and Invokamet and their link to higher rates of amputations of the toe, foot and leg as compared to a placebo.
Currently there over 1,100 Invokana and Invokamet lawsuits because Janssen Pharmaceuticals failed to thoroughly test this new type of diabetes medication (it’s called an SGLT2 inhibitor) before putting it on the market. Federal Invokana and Invokamet lawsuits have been organized into multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. This means that many of these cases that are similar (which involve Invokana and Invokamet and like adverse effects) are being grouped together so a settlement can be reached quicker than having each case tried individually. The first case is set to go to court in September 2018, so it’s of the utmost importance to file a claim today to potentially be able to receive compensation.
