Taxotere Review – What You Need To Know
Everything You Need to Know About Taxotere Lawsuits
Taxotere is a drug used to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the drug has also been linked to permanent hair loss in some cancer survivors.
What is Taxotere?
Taxotere is categorized as an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug. These drugs are also categorized under names like antineoplastic or cytotocix. They’re used to treat breast cancer, advanced stomach cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and prostate cancer.
The name “Taxotere” comes from the fact that Taxotere is a member of a class of drugs called taxanes, which are administered intravenously (via IV) in a hospital setting. These drugs are used to inhibit a cancer cell’s ability to divide, which theoretically stops the growth of cancer and leads to the death of the cancer cell.
Using Taxotere, countless people have been able to overcome breast cancer and lung cancer.
Obviously, all of the effects listed above are good things. Unfortunately, like many chemotherapy drugs, Taxotere also comes with unwanted side effects, including fluid retention, nausea, fatigue, and temporary hair loss.
However, in recent years, the drug has been linked to a more serious side effect: it may lead to permanent hair loss.
After taking Taxotere, many patients have become permanently bald. Complicating matters further is that the makers of Taxotere, Sanofil-Aventis, refuse to disclose just how many people have become permanently bald after taking it.
With all of these things in mind, let’s take a closer look at how Taxotere lawsuits are proceeding.
Taxotere Lawsuits
The makers of Taxotere, Sanofil-Aventis, are accused of failing to warn users of the risks of taking the drug.
Specifically, plaintiffs allege that Sanofil-Aventis knew about the risks of permanent hair loss and refused to notify people taking the drug.
In one small study, 6.3% of patients taking Taxotere suffered from permanent hair loss. Many believe that a risk this high is enough to warrant a warning label from the manufacturer.
Sanofil-Aventis did not warn users of the risks of permanent hair loss. But not only did it fail to warn people of the risk of permanent hair loss, it actually claimed that patients’ hair will grow back. The warning label for the drug once said the following:
“Loss of hair occurs in most patients taking Taxotere (including the hair on your head, underarm hair, pubic hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes). Hair loss will begin after the first few treatments and varies from patient to patient. Once you have completed all your treatments, hair generally grows back.”
Lawsuits allege that this information (claiming that hair “generally grows back”) flies in the face of facts.
As a result, the US FDA published an update to its safety labeling of Taxotere in December 2015 stating that “cases of permanent alopecia have been reported” after using Taxotere.
The number of lawsuits involving Taxotere is expected to grow significantly: approximately 75% of women with breast cancer are prescribed Taxotere as an anti-cancer drug. As we mentioned above, Taxotere is used to treat more than just cancer.
What is Alopecia?
Taxotere has been linked to an increased risk of alopecia. Alopecia is better known simply as “hair loss”. It’s a potential side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and can occur anywhere on the body.
With alopecia, hair can fall out gradually, in sections, or entirely all at once. In some patients, the hair simply thins out before becoming duller and dryer.
Patients who lose their hair from cancer treatment will typically be able to grow hair back after treatment. Patients who take Taxotere, however, have experienced permanent hair loss.
There are multiple types of alopecia, all of which can play a role in impending Taxotere lawsuits:
-Alopecia Areata: The most common type of alopecia. This version creates round, smooth patches of hair of various sizes.
-Alopecia Totalis: Total loss of hair on your scalp.
-Alopecia Universalis: This rare form of alopecia involves the total loss of hair over your entire scalp and body.
Other Taxotere Side Effects
Temporary and permanent hair loss isn’t the only condition associated with Taxotere. Other conditions and side effects associated with Taxotere include:
-Pain or swelling at the injection site
-Nausea
-Vomiting
-Diarrhea
-Excessive tearing
-Fatigue and drowsiness
-Dizziness
-Constipation
-Loss of appetite
Status of Current Taxotere Lawsuits
Taxotere lawsuits are still in their early stages of being processed through the courts. At this point, no settlements have occurred against Sanofil-Aventis.
However, a growing number of cases are entering the legal system across America. Many pharmaceutical attorneys are actively seeking out patients who have been affected by Taxotere. These attorneys often provide free consultations during which they can discuss the details of your case and help you understand your rights and your likelihood of receiving compensation.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with alopecia (permanent hair loss) after taking Taxotere during chemotherapy treatment, then you may have a case against Sanofil-Aventis for failing to warn you of this possible side effect.
Typically, hair regrowth occurs within 4 to 6 weeks of completing chemotherapy treatment. If your hair never grows back, then you may be owed substantial compensation.
Many of these Taxotere lawsuits center around the idea that Sanofil-Aventis failed to warn patients of all the side effects associated with the medication. And if they had warned patients of all these side effects, then patients may have elected to choose a different anti-cancer drug. Without that information, Sanofil-Aventis effectively took that choice away from patients.
When seeking a Taxotere lawyer, your best bet is to choose a pharmaceutical attorney that has previously specialized in anti-cancer drug lawsuits. Ideally, that lawyer will also offer a free consultation and work on a contingency basis – so you only pay legal fees once the lawsuit has been settled or awarded in your favor.
