Generic form of Actos Hits the Market this August

Last year, Takeda Pharmaceuticals made millions of dollars in the United States selling Actos, a widley popular diabetes drug. Since its beginning in 1999, about 10 million people have taken the drug worldwide. Takeda may be losing profits soon, though, now that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a generic form of Actos for the American market. With this approval, three other pharmaceutical companies will begins selling the generic version of Actos (pioglitazone) on August 12^th of this year.

By 2020, several other dug companies are prepared to sell a generic version of the medication, and the non-insulin diabetes medication market is expected to reach $8 billion in the next 8 years. Even though the drug is FDA approved, it has received criticism from consumers. Some doctors believe that Actos may be responsible for cases of bladder cancer, eye disease, heart failure, and bone fractures. Although these risks may be in place, the FDA has allowed the dug into the market with a warning on the label informing consumers of the potential risk.