A Georgia Taxotere hair loss lawsuit may be an option for chemotherapy patients who took Taxotere and suffered permanent hair loss. Taxotere, also called docetaxel, is most commonly used to treat breast cancer as well as other types of cancer, sometimes after other treatments have failed to work. Although temporary hair loss may be a common side effect of chemotherapy, Taxotere has been linked to permanent hair loss. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file a Georgia Taxotere lawsuit and pursue compensation for damages.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Georgia today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Taxotere and How Does It Work?
Taxotere is a type of chemotherapy medication used to treat certain kinds of cancer, including breast, lung, prostate, stomach, and head and neck cancer. Taxotere is a member of a family of drugs known as taxanes, plant alkaloids from the Pacific yew tree.
In normal cell division, cells stop dividing when they come in contact with like cells through a process called inhibition. Cancerous cells, however, no longer have the ability to stop dividing and limit cell division. Taxotere works by slowing and disrupting cell growth, potentially causing cancerous tumors to shrink.
Taxotere and Permanent Hair Loss
Temporary hair loss is often a side effect of chemotherapy treatment. Because chemotherapy treatments target all rapidly dividing cells, including cells that are healthy and cancerous, some treatments may destroy hair follicles and cause patients to loss some or all of their hair. In addition to temporary hair loss, Taxotere has been linked to permanent, disfiguring hair loss.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noted that cases of permanent alopecia (hair loss) had been reported as a known adverse reaction of Taxotere.
Additionally, a study published in the medical journal Annals of Oncology concluded that permanent and severe alopecia was a newly reported complication of docetaxel-based (Taxotere) cancer treatments. Between 2007 and 2011, twenty women treated for breast cancer with Taxotere were reported as having developed permanent alopecia.
Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit Claims
Lawsuits filed against drug makers Sanofi S.A. claim that, contrary to the drug maker’s claims of superior effectiveness, post market surveillance has shown that the more potent and more toxic Taxotere does not offer increased efficacy or benefits over other taxanes. Likewise, lawsuits allege that the drug maker hid the existence of studies from the FDA, physicians, and patients that confuted the drug maker’s claims.
Lawsuits further allege that Sanofi S.A. participated in a pattern of deception by overstating the benefits of Taxotere as compared to other alternatives while at the same time failing to warn of the risk of permanent and disfiguring alopecia. Thousands of women were exposed to the risk of disfiguring permanent alopecia without any warning because the words permanent alopecia or permanent hair loss do not appear on in any information published by the drug maker in the United States.
Plaintiffs claim that they experienced permanent alopecia as a result of taking Taxotere, leading to severe and personal injuries including past and future medical expenses, permanent disfigurement, mental anguish, severe and debilitating emotional distress, and impairment of the quality and enjoyment of life.
Taxotere Side Effects
Common side effects of Taxotere include:
- Injection site reactions such as pain, redness, or swelling
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling weak or tired
- Muscle pain
- Missed menstrual periods
- Fingernail or toenail changes
Other Taxotere Risks
Patients who have certain abnormal liver function tests may be at an increased risk of severe side effects such as problems with white blood cells and blood platelets, infection, mouth inflammation, skin toxicity, or death. Patients who experience a rash; hives; reddening of the skin; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, throat, or tongue; severe dizziness; or trouble breathing or swallowing are advised to seek medical attention at once.
How a Georgia Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit Can Help
Drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are accompanied by full and accurate instructions and warnings to guide prescribing doctors and other health care providers in making treatment decisions. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
Patients who are injured by Taxotere may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from complications after taking Taxotere, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
Patients who have suffered severe side effects, including permanent hair loss, after taking Taxotere, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the drug, are encouraged to seek the advice of a Georgia Taxotere hair loss lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Georgia. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group for Georgia today.
