A recent lawsuit claims diabetes drug Invokana (canagliflozin) caused a man to develop Fournier’s Gangrene, a potentially deadly disease. According to allegations, Invokana manufacturers knew or should have known the medication caused severe side effects and failed to warn users and the medical community about the risks.

On June 10, Russell Mullis, a Georgia resident, filed his complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. Mullis’ names Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, its parent company, as defendants, claiming the companies provided inadequate warning of severe side effects when their diabetes drug was first introduced to the market in 2013.

Invokana is part of a diabetes drug class called sodium-glucose contrasporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors. This drug class also includes medications like Farxiga, Invokamet, Jardiance, and Xigduo XR.

In August 2018, the FDA found Invokana and other SGLT-2 inhibitors increased patients’ likelihood of developing Fournier’s gangrene and other severe side effects, requiring manufacturers to add new warnings about the risks.  

According to the lawsuit, Mullis starting to take Invokana regularly in 2015 to treat his type 2 diabetes. Mullis claims after he started taking Invokana, he developed Fournier’s gangrene, also known as necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum.

Fournier’s gangrene is an infection that attacks the genitals and surrounding area. If left untreated, Fournier’s gangrene can be life threatening. Mullis’s diagnosis required for him to need surgery to fix the infection, which included an incision, drainage, debridement of his scrotum, and the need for a wound vac where the infection was located.

“The development of Plaintiff’s injuries was preventable and resulted directly from Defendants’ failure and refusal to conduct proper safety studies, failure to properly assess and publicize alarming safety signals, suppression of information revealing serious and life-threatening risks, willful and wanton failure to provide adequate instructions, and willful misrepresentations concerning the nature and safety of Invokana” the lawsuit states.

Were You Injured after Taking Invokana?

If you developed severe side effects after taking Invokana, you are not alone or without options for help. Currently Janssen and Johnson & Johnson face thousands of Invokana lawsuits, each alleging that manufacturers failed to adequately warn the medical community and users about the health risks of Invokana when it was first introduced. These lawsuits seek compensation for financial burdens caused by their Invokana side effects, such as medical monitoring, treatment, loss of wages, and pain & suffering.

If you’ve been harmed from taking Invokana, we’re here to help you recover. At the McGartland Law Firm, PLLC, we serve victims of negligence from defective and dangerous products like Invokana. Because drug manufacturers and distributors caused your severe complications, you have every right to seek justice against them and receive compensation for your losses. Our attorneys fight tirelessly to achieve only the best results for clients, and we possess the track record of multi-millions of dollars and settlements and verdicts to prove it.

Call us today to learn more at 866.832.9300