Gibbs Law Group LLP Partner Appointed to Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for Consolidated Actos Lawsuits

Ms. A.J. De Bartolomeo, a partner at Gibbs Law Group, was appointed by a Federal Judge to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the consolidated Actos litigation

San Francisco, CA — The law firm of Gibbs Law Group LLP is pleased to announce that Ms. A.J.
De Bartolomeo, a partner at the firm, has been appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the prosecution of the Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2299), pending in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

In an order issued by the Court on June 13, 2013, the Honorable Rebecca F. Doherty appointed
Ms. De Bartolomeo to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, which is responsible for conducting and coordinating the pretrial proceedings in the litigation, including developing strategic decisions that
affect the execution and administration of this large scale lawsuit and speaking on behalf of all plaintiffs in the consolidated Actos lawsuits.

“I am honored to be working alongside such a reputable and talented group of trial attorneys,” said
Ms. De Bartolomeo, who brings more than twenty years of experience in large-scale mass, class and collective actions to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee.

Actos, also known as pioglitazone, is a drug prescribed to treat Type 2 Diabetes.  The drug was first approved in 1999 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sale in the U.S.  However, in June of 2011, the FDA issued a safety alert for Actos after studies indicated that the risk of bladder cancer increased in patients who used the drug for over a year.  The drug has also been banned in France, Germany and India.  Thus far, more than 3,000 lawsuits have been filed against the drug manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, throughout the United States by individuals who have been diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking Actos.  Similar lawsuits in the form of class actions have also recently commenced in Australia and New Zealand.

“We intend to show that Takeda Pharmaceuticals knew about the risks associated with Actos, yet it failed to inform patients of the increased risk of bladder cancer when taking Actos,” stated Ms. De Bartolomeo.  As active participants in the coordinated Actos litigation, Ms. De Bartolomeo and her team of Actos lawyers are currently filing cases on behalf of clients nationwide.  The first federal trial is currently slated for the end of January 2014.

For more information, please contact our Actos Lawyers at 1-800-254-9493, or you can fill out the form to the right.  All consultations are free and confidential.

About Gibbs Law Group

Gibbs Law Group LLP is a national litigation firm based in San Francisco and New York representing plaintiffs in class and collective actions in state and federal courts, and in arbitration matters worldwide. The firm serves individuals, institutions and business clients in cases involving personal injury mass tort, consumer protection, securities, antitrust, and employment laws. Gibbs Law Group was distinguished as a Tier 1 law firm for plaintiffs’ mass tort and class-action litigation in the 2013 “Best Law Firms” list, an annual survey published in the U.S. News & World Report’s Money Issue. The National Law Journal (NLJ) named Gibbs Law Group to its elite “Plaintiffs’ Hot List” for 2012, a selection of top U.S. plaintiffs’ firms recognized for wins in high-profile cases.