Proposed Settlement of Canadian ACTOS®/Pioglitazone Litigation

TORONTO, Dec. 12, 2020 /CNW/ - A notification program began today, as ordered by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Québec, to advise Canadian residents about a proposed settlement of litigation related to the prescription medications ACTOS®, APO-Pioglitazone and Sandoz-Pioglitazone.

The proposed settlement, which requires approval of the Ontario and Quebec Courts, provides for the creation of a $25 million CDN settlement fund from which eligible Class Members will receive compensation and from which administration costs and legal fees will be paid.

The proposed settlement is not an admission of liability on the part of any of the defendants, nor has there been any finding of liability by the Courts against any of them. The defendants deny the allegations made in the lawsuits. As a term of the proposed settlement, the parties agreed to seek certification and authorization of the actions as class proceedings on consent, solely for the purposes of settlement. The notification program will advise affected Canadians of the certification/authorization of three lawsuits as class actions and of Class Members' rights related to that certification/authorization, including the right to opt out of the proceedings and the right  to object to the proposed settlement.

Notices informing people about their legal rights and the details of the settlement will be mailed to known Class Members and will be published in various newspapers across Canada, leading up to two hearings – one in Toronto and one in Montreal – at which time the Courts will consider whether or not to approve the proposed settlement. The Settlement Approval Hearings are scheduled to proceed on January 27, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., at the Superior Court of Québec, 1 Notre-Dame East, Montréal and on January 28, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, 361 University Avenue, Toronto.

Class Members who wish to exclude themselves from the proceedings must do so by January 26, 2021 and if they wish to file a written objection to the proposed settlement they must do so by January 7, 2021 by sending an Opt Out Form and/or a written objection to the Claims Administrator.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, capitalized terms have the meanings set out in the Settlement Agreement. Further information relating to the proposed settlement, including the Notice, the settlement documents, and Opt Out Forms, is available at: www.piosettlement.ca, from the Claims Administrator by phone at 1-800-538-0009 or by writing to the following address:

Canadian ACTOS®/Pioglitazone Settlement
c/o CA2 Inc.
9 Prince Arthur Ave.,
Toronto, ON, M5R 1B2
[email protected]

The law firms of Rochon Genova LLP, Kim Spencer McPhee Barristers PC and Merchant Law Group LLP represent the Class Members. For further information please contact any of the following:

SOURCE ROCHON GENOVA LLP

Rochon Genova LLP Barristers ● Avocats, 900-121 Richmond St. W. Toronto, ON M5H 2K1 Joel P. Rochon, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], [email protected]; Kim Spencer McPhee Barristers PC., 1200 Bay St., Suite 1203 Toronto, ON., M5R 2A5 Megan B. McPhee, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], [email protected]; Rochon Genova LLP Barristers ● Avocats, 900-121 Richmond St. W. Toronto, ON M5H 2K1 Joel P. Rochon, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], [email protected]; Kim Spencer McPhee Barristers PC., 1200 Bay St., Suite 1203 Toronto, ON., M5R 2A5 Megan B. McPhee, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], [email protected]; Merchant Law Group LLP, 100-2401 Saskatchewan Dr. Regina, SK S4P 4H8, Evatt Merchant Q.C., Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], [email protected]