A Class Action Suits Moves RICO from Mobsters to Medicine

A Class Action Suits Moves RICO from Mobsters to Medicine

From The Bio Report by Levine Media Group

March 25, 2026 · 43 min · Episode 167

About this episode

The episode discusses a landmark class action lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies regarding the diabetes drug Actos and its associated cancer risks.

RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, was originally designed to prosecute organized crime. Today, it sits at the center of a landmark class action against two of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies over the diabetes drug Actos. Attorney Harrison James of Wisner Baum discusses Painters and Allied Trades District Council 82 Health Care Fund v. Takeda, a national civil RICO case alleging that Takeda and Eli Lilly carried out a coordinated, years-long scheme to downplay known bladder cancer risks. The complaint asserts that regulators, physicians, and third-party payers were misled, leading to billions of dollars in reimbursements for the drug. James discusses how RICO’s legal framework applies in the pharmaceutical context, what it took to secure class certification where similar efforts have failed, and the broader implications this case may hold for the industry.

People in this episode

Guest: Harrison James

Topics covered

  • class action lawsuit
  • pharmaceutical industry
  • RICO Act
  • bladder cancer risks
  • legal framework
  • healthcare reimbursement

Keywords

  • RICO
  • class action
  • pharmaceutical companies
  • bladder cancer
  • Actos
  • Harrison James
  • Takeda
  • Eli Lilly
  • healthcare

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wisner Baum, Takeda, Eli Lilly, RICO

Products: Actos

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