Mary Iorio Blames Diabetes Drug For Her Husband’s Bladder Cancer

Mary Iorio was widowed on November 25, 2013 when her husband died after having surgery to remove his bladder on August 2. Her husband, Maurice Iorio traveled to Chicago to have his cancer infected bladder removed, but was not able to return home after the surgery.

Maurice Iorio was told in 2011 that he had a spot on his liver, and Mary Iorio said, “Nobody mentioned the word ‘cancer.'” Maurice Iorio had his first surgery in August 2011, but the “spot” returned later.

Mary Iorio believes the diabetes medication he was on was responsible for his bladder cancer. Iorio was on the Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. prescription drug pioglitazone, whose commercial name is Actos.

The drug went on sale in the U.S. in 1999 and since then thousands of people have sued Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., accusing the company of not informing consumers and doctors about Actos’ bladder cancer risk.

Mary Iorio and another plaintiff were in court on August 31, 2015 in a product liability trial against the company.

Tags: anti-cancer, cancer awareness