Invokana was approved 5 years ago in 2013 by the Food and Drug Administration. It is for people who have diabetes and works with their kidneys to lower their blood sugar. It would allow sugar to be removed from the body via urine. Since being approved, the FDA has issued three separate warnings about the serious side effects of the drug.
The first warning issued in May 2015 linked the drug to diabetic ketoacidosis. If untreated, this could ultimately lead to death. The warning was also updated after six months adding that Invokana can cause serious urinary tract infections.
The second warning was issued in September 2015 stating that Invokana can decrease bone density in the first 12 weeks of usage. This increases the chances of bone fractures.
The third, issued in the summer of 2017 as a Black Box Warning, explains that using Invokana doubles the risk of toe, foot, and leg amputations.
The third warning was released after two large clinical trials that demonstrated an increased risk of amputation after taking Invokana. These studies found that 7 out of 1,000 patients taking Invokana will need lower-limb amputations. Since Invokana is a bestselling drug, many people who take Invokana are likely unaware that a small cut on their toe could lead to an amputation.
Since sugar is removed from the body from the kidneys when taking Invokana, the kidneys are working harder when trying to filter the normal waste from the bloodstream. This can damage the kidneys and cause the kidneys to fail completely. Once this happens, dialysis is needed to reverse the effects. Since being approved by the FDA, 100 reports of acute kidney injury have not been reported. Of those, 96% of patients were hospitalized. In 50% of the cases, kidney injury appeared within the first month of starting the drug.
If you or someone you know is a victim of the serious side effects of Invokana, the personal injury attorneys at Manchin Injury Law Group may be able to help. Call us today at (304) 367-1862.
