Taxotere Lawsuit

Filing a Taxotere Lawsuit

Currently, there is multidistrict litigation consolidated in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Taxotere lawsuit is comprised of women who developed Alopecia after using Taxotere.

If you currently suffer from a permanent hair loss disease and were previously prescribed Taxotere, contact the office of TorHoerman Law for a free, no-obligation evaluation and Taxotere lawsuit consultation today.

Our dedicated team of bad drug lawyers will be here to help you every step of the way, answer any questions you may have, and walk you through the steps of your Taxotere lawsuit.

If you believe that you may qualify to participate in a Taxotere lawsuit, the first step you should take is to mitigate injuries and future potential damages. In order to properly mitigate costs, seek proper medical treatment right away, follow your doctor’s orders.

You should then familiarize yourself with the civil litigation process so that you know what is to come of your Taxotere lawsuit.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer to act as your Taxotere lawyer is an important step.

Be sure to ask plenty of questions about your potential lawyer’s experience, payment structure, and anything else you deem to be important.

Hiring a Taxotere Lawyer

Your Taxotere lawyer will work to build a strong case to prove that liability for your injuries falls on the manufacturer.

Your Taxotere attorney will work to gather evidence to show liability, assess damages that you incurred from your injuries, file legal documents on your behalf, and work to gain you compensation for your injuries in the form of a settlement or verdict.

Your state’s statute of limitations limits the time you have to file a Taxotere lawsuit after your injuries first became apparent and/or were diagnosed, so be sure to reach out to a Taxotere lawyer as soon as possible to start the litigation process.

How Common is Permanent Hair Loss With Taxotere?

Temporary hair loss is a common side effect of most chemotherapy treatments.

However, most do not cause a complete loss of hair.

Studies find that among all of the side effects associated with chemotherapy, temporary hair loss has the greatest impact on a patient’s quality of life.

Taxotere has been linked to Alopecia, permanent hair loss, in those who take the drug for chemotherapeutic treatment.

Alopecia is a permanent and irreversible hair loss disease that affects all body hair, including:

• Eyebrows
• Eyelashes
• Facial hair
• Pubic hair

Multiple studies have found that Taxotere use can result in Alopecia.

Evidence of Alopecia occurring in Taxotere patients includes:

• Documents from the Sanofi-funded GEICAM 9805 study – which was presented as evidence in ongoing litigation against Sanofi, that reveal that around 9.2% of patients suffered hair loss that lasted more than a decade.
• A 2006 study conducted by the Rock Mountain Cancer Centers, which found that Taxotere caused 6% of women to suffer permanent alopecia.
• A 2012 study published in the Annals of Oncology. Of the 20 female participants who received Taxotere, 19 developed permanent hair loss. One participant who was being treated for reoccurring breast cancer had previously undergone chemotherapy with a different drug and had complete hair regrowth, but after using Taxotere, she suffered from permanent hair loss.

Alopecia can severely affect a person’s quality of life, affect body image, and cause depression and distress.

For women who already have to struggle with the burden of breast cancer and chemotherapy, developing Alopecia can be devastating.

For breast cancer survivors, Alopecia is more than a cosmetic effect.

The disease is a constant reminder of the struggle to fight breast cancer.

The 2012 study published in the Annals of Oncology found that women who suffered from Alopecia due to Taxotere suffered “significant impairment” to their quality of life.

Taxotere Treatment Plan

Unlike similar chemotherapy drugs with weekly treatment plans, Taxotere’s treatment plan runs at three-week intervals.

Fewer trips to the doctor for treatment make Taxotere more attractive to both patients and doctors.

Taxotere has also been approved for administration outside of the hospital (in 60-100 mg/m2 doses).

Similar chemotherapy treatments require hospitalization to cope with extended infusion times.

As is warned on the Taxotere label, toxic death occurs in around 2% of metastatic breast cancer patients and about 11.5% of patients with other tumor types involving abnormal liver function who are using Taxotere.

TorHoerman Law - Taxotere Hair Loss Lawyers

TorHoerman Law has a dedicated team of bad drug lawyers who are experienced at litigating on behalf of individuals who suffered injuries and losses at no fault of their own.

Our firm offers free, no-obligation case consultations to anyone who needs legal advice and guidance related to Taxotere hair loss and other Taxotere injuries.

We operate on a contingency fee basis, so our clients do not ever pay any legal fees until after they have been awarded compensation.

No compensation? No fees.

So contact TorHoerman Law, your Taxotere hair loss lawyer, and learn how we can serve you today.

What are the Long Term Effects of Taxotere?

Along with the more common side effects, there are also more life-threatening adverse effects associated with Taxotere.

Taxotere carries a black box warning for several known adverse health effects associated with the drug.

These black-box adverse health effects include:

Toxic Death

Increased risks for patients with:

• Abnormal liver function
• Patients prescribed higher doses
• Patients suffering from NSCLC
• Prior platinum-based therapy recipients

Hepatotoxicity

Liver damage caused by chemical exposure due to Taxotere treatment.

Hepatotoxicity can cause severe complications and even be life-threatening.

Hepatotoxicity is common in patients with:

• Abnormal liver function
• Elevated LFT

Fluid Retention

Taxotere’s label warns that the condition may reach severe levels for some patients.

Neutropenia

A low neutrophils (specific white blood cell) count makes patients more likely to contract bacterial infections.

If gone untreated, these bacterial infections can cause severe health conditions and even death.

Patients with neutrophil counts under 1500 cells per 3 cubic millimeters of blood volume are more susceptible to develop neutropenia and are advised against using Taxotere unless necessary.

Doctors are advised to frequently check blood counts for these patients who do use Taxotere.

Hypersensitivity Reactions

Reactions like a rash, low blood pressure, and fatal anaphylaxis.

Patients who received dexamethasone premedication are most susceptible to developing these conditions.

What is the status of the Taxotere Lawsuit?

A growing number of women and their families have filed lawsuits against Taxotere manufacturer Sanofi and against certain generic manufacturers, claiming that the manufacturers were aware of the increased risks of Alopecia, but failed to warn consumers.

The plaintiffs also claim that Sanofi hid data and research that linked Taxotere to these adverse side effects.

In fact, Sanofi did warn consumers outside of the U.S. that Taxotere could be linked to “permanent hair loss” and even Alopecia but failed to warn U.S. consumers

Evidence presented in litigation against Sanofi indicates that the manufacturer tried to downplay the known risks in order to get the drug approved in 1996.

Plaintiffs have made accusations that employee training incorporated teaching misrepresentation of safety and effectiveness, and alleged illegal payments in the form of “kickbacks” to doctors who prescribed Taxotere.

Lawsuits claim that Sanofi actually misled the U.S. public through advertising and marketing that assured Taxotere users that hair loss was only temporary and that there was no threat of permanent hair loss.

Plaintiffs allege that Sanofi also failed to recognize in-house data collected from the GEICAM 9805 study, which indicated that around 9.2% of patients suffered hair loss that lasted more than 10 years, and that Sanofi did not recognize the findings of Dr. Scott Sedlack of the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, whose findings indicated that 6% of women using Taxotere developed permanent Alopecia.

While studies indicate that Taxotere is an effective chemotherapy treatment, lawsuits allege that other treatments, which are at least as effective as Taxotere, do not subject consumers to the same risks of permanent hair loss.