Dallas Invokana Lawyers

Janssen: Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson have undergone recent legal heat since creating a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2) called Invokana. This product was heavily marketed and prescribed between 2013 and 2017, raking in revenue equal to $1.4 billion in 2016 alone.

But recently, Invokana, Invokamet, and Invokamet XR have been linked to an increased risk of amputations, Fournier’s Gangrene, and other severe health complications.

Now, many users of the inhibitor are coming forward, filing product liability claims against the drug manufacturing giant, and recruiting an experienced and dedicated Dallas Invokana injury lawsuits attorney such as the ones at The Benton Law Firm is quickly becoming a necessity.

Our lawyers are investigating claims on behalf of patients who were prescribed Invokana and suffered serious complications, injuries, and side effects as a result. Contact The Benton Law Firm at (214) 777-7777 to schedule your FREE, no-obligation consultation today.

The Ongoing Struggle With Type-2 Diabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of people living with diabetes is at an all-time high right now, where at least 9.4 percent of the total United States population lives with the disease. That is equivalent to 30.2 million people, and nearly one-quarter of them don’t realize they have it.

Type-2 diabetes occurs when the body fails to create and use insulin in the way it was designed, and as a result, glucose levels in the bloodstream can elevate to dangerous levels. When this happens, major health complications can develop, causing:

• High Blood Pressure
• Loss of Vision
• Nerve Damage
• Kidney Damage
• Stroke

To answer this growing health concern among Americans, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the sale of a drug that could help regulate blood-glucose levels back in March 2013. This drug was called Invokana (canagliflozin), and it came in many other incarnations such as Invokamet (canagliflozin and metformin) and Invokamet XR (canagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride extended-release).

If you or someone you love has used Invokana, any of its other variants, or other SGLT2 inhibitors and have suffered any health complications, reach out to the Invokana injury lawsuit lawyers of The Benton Law Firm at (214) 777-7777 to get started with a FREE legal consultation today.

What is Invokana?

For those of us who have loved ones who may be taking the drug and aren’t truly familiar with it, Invokana is an SGLT2 inhibitor that is prescribed to treat patients that live with type-2 diabetes. It prevents the kidneys from absorbing glucose, in which the excess is passed through urine. As a result, there is less glucose in the bloodstream.

However, it isn’t the only inhibitor on the market that is capable of causing complications. Some of the other name brand inhibitors include:

• Farxiga (Dapagliflozin)
• Jardiance (Empagliflozin)
• GLYXAMBI (Empagliflozin/Linagliptin)
• Synjardy (Empagliflozin/Metformin)
• Xigduo XR (Dapagliflozin/Metformin)

Normally, these SGLT2 inhibitors are used in tandem with medicines like metformin, a proper diet, and exercise to reduce blood glucose levels in those living with type-2 diabetes. That is, until recently when it was discovered that Invokana is responsible for serious side effects and injuries.

Invokana’s Questionable Past

For years, Janssen Pharmaceutical has committed various degrees of negligence during the product testing process, releasing defective products out to trusting consumers who were subsequently hurt because of the company’s poor decision: 

• During the initial clinical trials, 13 Invokana users suffered from a heart attack or stroke within the first 30 days of receiving treatment.
• Then in 2015, the FDA issued out a warning that SGLT2 inhibitors could play a factor in developing too much acidity in the bloodstream.
• That same year, the FDA issued out notifications regarding the risks of decreased bone density and fractures for Invokana users.
• In both 2015 and 2016, multiple safety communications sent out to Invokana users detailed the increased risk of painful urinary tract infections and dangerous kidney injuries that could develop.

After multiple attempts to notify consumers of the negative effects that Invokana is capable of, two large clinical trials—CANVAS and CANVAS-R—officially concluded that SGLT2 inhibitors were linked to an increase of foot—and even leg—amputations.

These two clinical tests found that foot and leg amputations occurred nearly twice as much in patients treated with canagliflozin when compared to patients that were given a placebo. After a year , the rate of amputations in patients settled at:

• 9 out of every 1,000 patients treated with canagliflozin
• 8 out of every 1,000 patients treated with placebo

During that same time frame, the CANVAS-R study revealed the risk of amputation for patients in the trial testing was equivalent to:

• 5 out of every 1,000 patients treated with canagliflozin
• 2 out of every 1,000 patients treated with placebo

It would do well for physicians to heed the FDA’s warning regarding Invokana, as this drug can increase the risk of amputation in users that have suffered from:

• Previous Amputations
• Peripheral Vascular Disease
• Neuropathy
• Diabetic Foot Ulcers

The results of these tests would ultimately move the FDA to issue a Safety Announcement against canagliflozin—which included Invokana and all of its variants—and required that Janssen Pharmaceutical and Johnson & Johnson provided a “Black Box” warning on the packaging of their products.

A warning was also posted on Invokana’s website:

“INVOKANA® may increase your risk of lower-limb amputations. Amputations mainly involve removal of the toe or part of the foot; however, amputations involving the leg, below and above the knee, have also occurred. Some people had more than one amputation, some on both sides of the body.”

Should the development of tenderness, sores, and ulcers occur while a user is taking Invokana, the FDA advises that the use of canagliflozin be discontinued to avoid further injury. Then, seek out medical attention immediately.

Janssen Pharmaceutical must answer for the pain they have caused you or your loved one. Contact our Invokana injury lawsuit attorneys at (214) 777-7777 to schedule your FREE legal consultation today.

Symptoms and Side Effects Caused By Invokana Use

Aside from foot and leg amputation, using Invokana or any other SGLT2 inhibitor increases the risk of developing serious conditions and experiencing painful side effects such as:

• Thirst
• Constipation
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Skin Sensitivity to Sunlight
• Flu-Like Symptoms
• Hypersensitivity Reactions (e.g. skin redness, rashes, itching, hives, and swelling)
• Back Pain
• Yeast Infections
• Genital Yeast Infections in Men and Women
• Increased Urination
• Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

SGLT2 inhibitors like Invokana have also been linked to the development of serious maladies, including:

• Kidney Failure
• Stroke
• Heart Failure
• Coma
• Hyperkalemia (high levels of potassium in the blood)
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis
• Increased Cholesterol Levels
• Serious Urinary Tract Infections
• Increased Bladder Cancer Risk
• Serious Allergic Reactions
• Low Blood Glucose (a.k.a. Hypoglycemia, when combined with insulin or drugs that increase insulin production)
• Increased Risk of Bone Fractures

In some instances, the aforementioned conditions may require emergency medical attention and long-term, costly medical treatment. These costs can pile up, adding additional stress to the user through no fault of his or her own.

The Invokana injury lawsuit attorneys of The Benton Law Firm are eager to help you fight and secure the maximum monetary compensation that is owed to you. Contact us at (214) 777-7777 to get started now.

Compensation You Deserve

The full value of your claim will ultimately depend on several factors. To get a more accurate telling of that particular value, recruiting an experienced product liability attorney from The Benton Law Firm is your best bet at acquiring the full compensation you need to cover:

• Medical Expenses – Current and future medical expenses related to the injury you sustained from use of the product.
• Pain and Suffering – This covers quality of life changes and the physical/emotional difficulties that come with that.
• Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity – This covers lost past and future wages or earning capacity if your injury prevents you from going back to work or accomplishing certain tasks.
• Loss of Consortium – These damages awarded cover injuries that affect your relationships with your loved ones, namely your spouse and/or children.
• Punitive Damages – Punitive damages are awarded when it is proven that the company— in this case, Janssen Pharmaceutical — or manufacturer acted in a malicious, fraudulent, or grossly negligent manner. It is meant as a punishment to the company that acted in such a way.

Our experienced lawyers can help you get the compensation you need to properly heal from injuries you shouldn’t have ever sustained to begin with. While we understand that the legal process may seem overwhelming, our Invokana injury lawsuit lawyers can help you take the first steps toward filing your claim.

File Your Invokana Injury Claim With The Benton Law Firm

If anything is for certain, its that you aren’t suffering from the debilitating effects of Invokana alone. Many individuals across the United States are recruiting experienced lawyers to help them fight Janssen Pharmaceutical for delivering defective SGLT2 inhibitors that caused them harm.

These claims allege that the company marketed these inhibitors without adequate clinical testing, warning, or post-market safety studies. Moreover, it also alleges that Janssen Pharmaceutical misrepresented and/or concealed the risks associated with Invokana use and exaggerated its benefits.

That said, if you have developed any severe side effects or had an amputation of a toe, foot, or leg because of your Invokana, Invokamet, or Invokamet XR use, you may qualify to receive compensation for injuries and damages you’ve sustained.

Contacting our law firm at (214) 777-7777 is your best way to file a product liability claim that allows you to properly recover while we do all of the legal heavy lifting.

With years of experience in fighting large corporations that put profits over people, a wide arsenal of legal resources, and sound legal strategy, our Invokana injury lawsuit attorneys have what it takes to help amplify your voice so that Janssen Pharmaceutical can hear how they did you wrong.

When greedy corporations put profits over people, the dedicated attorneys of The Benton Law Firm are there to lift their victims up and bring those responsible to justice. Contact us at (214) 777-7777 for your FREE, no-obligation legal consultation with our Invokana injury lawsuit attorneys today for a potential drug-related injury.