The United States Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (MDL) met on December 1, 2011, in Savannah, Georgia, to hear arguments regarding whether all federal Actos cases should be consolidated into multi-district litigation (MDL) and, if so, where the cases should be consolidated.

As we have previously reported, recent studies allegedly show that diabetics taking Actos may be at an increased risk of developing bladder cancer.  Particularly at risk are those individuals who took Actos for more than twelve (12) months.

On December 29, 2011, the Panel decided that all federal Actos cases would be centralized in the Western District of Louisiana with the Honorable Rebecca F. Doherty.  The granting of multi-district litigation (MDL) treatment will streamline the lawsuits, allowing the parties to avoid duplicative discovery and inconsistent rulings from different judges.  Additionally, MDL treatment will provide more convenience for the witnesses, the parties and the court.

If you feel you have experienced adverse side-effects from taking Actos, you can contact Stark & Stark and speak to one of the Mass Tort/Pharmaceutical Litigation attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you might have against the manufacturers of Actos.