Women Who Took Invokana During Pregnancy

Posted by Lawsuit Information on August 6th, 2015

Invokana is a drug prescribed for type 2 diabetes. The actual drug is called canagliflozin and is used to control blood sugar. It essentially is designed to help remove sugar by the kidneys. Although there are known risks associated with it, it was FDA approved. While the drug is supposed to help prevent kidney damage, blindness, loss of limbs, nerve damage and sexual functioning problems, it has been linked to birth defects and other harmful side effects. Unfortunately some of these birth defects have led to death.

If you or someone you know took invokana during pregnancy and the child has birth defects, you may be eligible for a lawsuit against the drug company. This is a SGLT 2 (essential that means sodium glucose co-transporter 2) inhibitor similar to Farxiga and Jardiance and these are some of the newer medications for type 2 diabetes. These drugs cause a coma, brain swelling and dehydration associated with a potentially fatal condition called ketoacidosis.

Here is some of the information that will be important to know if you want to file a lawsuit against the company. This drug was approved by the FDA in 2013 and in 2015 the FDA issued a the safety warning that it can cause ketoacidosis. This drug actually stops glucose to be reabsorbed into the blood by the kidneys. Invokana is manufactured by Johnson and Johnson’s subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals. This drug has been shown to increase cholesterol levels in the blood and cause tumors to develop in animal testing.

Many of the lawsuits against Invokana have been related to heart attack, renal failure and the aforementioned ketoacidosis. The drug companies AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Johnson and Johnson are being accused of not warning people of the increased risk of cardiac problems like heart attacks as well as kidney failure. Kidney failure can cause death and all sorts of other problems such as weakness, shortness of breath, confusion and abnormal heart rhythms. It can build up waste in the body and mess with red blood cell count.

It can cause constriction of the arteries and stop blood from reaching portions of the heart which will make it impossible for the heart to distribute nutrients and oxygen properly. A toxic buildup of ketones can also occur in the blood causing coma or death. Signs of these problems are increased heart rate, dizziness, tiredness, confusion, abdominal pains, problems breathing, nausea, vomiting or anorexia.

Obviously this would put a mother and a fetus at serious risk if the complications become severe. The FDA currently has this drug listed as a category C for birth defect risks. This means it has been shown to cause defects in animal testing but so far human reports are unsure because they cannot carry out tests on humans of course. This is considered a risk for mothers and if you’re taking the drug and become pregnant you should tell your doctor immediately.

You should not take the drug if you have liver or kidney problems, type 1 diabetes or allergies to ingredients in the drug. If you experienced symptoms or reactions you were not warned about while pregnant that you believe affected your child or yourself consult with a lawyer about filing a lawsuit. You should be eligible for a free compensation. There is still not enough studies done yet on the drug’s effects on pregnant women but it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.