Actemra® FAQ | Actemra Lawyer, Attorney

Information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Actemra side effects, lawsuits, and class action settlements.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Actemra induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with a serious side effect of Actemra, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Actemra?
How does Actemra treat arthritis?
What is the problem with Actemra?
Did Roche fail to warn about Actemra side effects?
What are serious side effects of Actemra?
Is there an Actemra class action lawsuit?
Are there any Actemra settlements?
How long do I have to file a lawsuit?

What is Actemra?

Actemra® (tocilizumab) is an injection medication sold by Roche that was initially approved in the U.S. on January 8, 2010, to reduce inflammation in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Actemra was also approved to treat Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) on May 22, 2017.

How does Actemra treat arthritis?

Actemra is designed to relieve pain, like most other arthritis drugs. Unlike those other drugs, Actemra also inhibits the acute inflammatory response that underlies rheumatoid arthritis. Actemra may have similar types of deadly side effects as other arthritis drugs.

What is the problem with Actemra?

An investigation by STAT news reviewed over 1,100 deaths associated with Actemra and found that hundreds of people died from side effects that are not on the label, such as heart attacks or stroke.

The investigators found “clear evidence” that the risk of heart attacks or strokes was “as high or higher for Actemra patients than for patients taking some competing drugs.”

For example, in a head-to-head study, Actemra had a 50% higher risk of heart attack than Enbrel. The difference is that Enbrel has a “Boxed Warning” about heart failure, but Actemra does not.

In fact, evidence of serious problems with Actemra emerged several years ago. In 2009, Actemra was linked to 15 deaths and 221 serious injuries in a clinical trial involving nearly 5,000 patients in Japan.

Did Roche fail to warn about Actemra side effects?

Unlike similar drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, Roche did not label Actemra with warnings about cardiovascular or pulmonary side effects. This is why our lawyers are helping patients who were injured.

What are serious side effects of Actemra?

Heart failure
Heart attack
Stroke
Pancreatitis
Interstitial lung disease

Is there an Actemra class action lawsuit?

No. There are no Actemra class actions for people who experienced side effects. The litigation is still in its early stages and problems with Actemra surfaced only recently. In the future, if a large number of individual lawsuits are filed, they may be centralized into a state-level “mass tort” or a federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL) for pre-trial coordination.

Are there any Actemra settlements?

There are no reports of Roche offering any settlements in Actemra lawsuits.

How long do I have to file a lawsuit?

The amount of time you have to file an Actemra lawsuit depends on the state where you live and how long ago you were injured. In some states, the statute of limitations is only 1 year, while other states give you up to 6 years to file a lawsuit. You should contact a lawyer as soon as possible to find out if you can still file an Actemra lawsuit.

Do I have a Actemra Lawsuit?

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

Actemra FAQ