Taxotere Lawsuits: A Brief Legal Guide
As discussed on our blog articles regarding Taxotere, there are extreme negative emotional, physical and financial impacts from the drug. Many women filed lawsuits against Sanofi because they were not properly warned about the permanent hair loss risk associated with its drug Taxotere. The drug was being administered in breast cancer patient’s chemotherapy for almost 20 years until the FDA released the warning that Taxotere may result in permanent hair loss. When this warning was released, Sanofi promptly put a warning label on the drug, but the damage was already done on numerous breast cancer patients.
There have been a great number of different lawsuits filed against Sanofi in response to this problem. According to various websites, an example of some of the lawsuits filed are: selling Taxotere without properly testing it, failing to determine Taxotere was safe, not disclosing the risk, failure to warn patients of dangers of Taxotere, concealing important information, etc. By Sanofi placing an initial label on the drug that a patient’s hair will generally grow back, many patients relied on this information before choosing to use this drug in their treatment. Many plaintiffs in lawsuits against Sanofi claimed that if they had known of the dangers and risk of permanent hair loss then they would have never chose to use the drug in their treatment in the first place. In addition, the drug has a severe impact on the emotional well being of patients and their families. The permanent hair loss caused by Taxotere also causes loss of earning potential and harsh financial impacts on the affected patients. These patients have a variety of well grounded claims that give rise to monetary compensation by Sanofi.
The permanent loss of a patient’s hair is one of the highest rated adverse side effects of chemotherapy patients. There were a number of alternative products on the market that did not expose patients to the same risk of permanent hair loss as Taxotere. A number of lawsuits filed claimed that Sanofi took advantage of a group that relied heavily on this drug to save their lives and slow cancer growth. Sanofi made around $1.4 billion per year at its peak on selling the drug Taxotere.
Lawsuits are beginning to be filed against the company by affected patients claiming a variety of damages. There have been no large settlements on Taxotere claims to date, but it does not mean that there is no hope. It is still a relatively new topic and many lawsuits are actively pending following extensive discovery into scientific research and information affirmatively linking Taxotere to the permanent hair loss suffered by so many patients. As more research is uncovered and a clear link is established, more and more patients will likely have a claim against Sanofi.
Just because there is no established cases or settlements does not mean you should wait if you or a loved one has been a victim of Taxotere’s permanent hair loss. The best thing to do is to call our law firm today as our attorneys are familiar with the complexities of drug litigation and knowledge of Taxotere. There are statutes of limitations among states, which limit the time frame when a plaintiff can file a lawsuit. It is important to stay on top of this issue and consult an attorney to figure out your best plan of action to get the compensation you deserve.