A Virginia Taxotere hair loss lawsuit may be an option for chemotherapy patients who took Taxotere and suffered permanent hair loss. Taxotere, a chemotherapy drug used to treat breast, prostate, non-small cell lung cancer, stomach, and head and neck cancers, has been linked to permanent, disfiguring hair loss. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file a Virginia Taxotere lawsuit and seek compensation for damages.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Virginia 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 Taxotere lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What Is Taxotere?
Taxotere is a chemotherapy medication used in the treatment of several cancers, as Chemocare explains. It is one of a group of drugs called plant alkaloids, which, as the name implies, are derived from plants. For further classification, Taxotere is an antimicrotubule, which prevents cells from multiplying. It cannot target only cancer cells, so negative side effects result from interference with normal cells as well.
Patients taking Taxotere or other anti-cancer drugs do so under the direct care of a doctor. To determine dosage, doctors use considerations such as a patient’s overall health, the type of cancer at issue, and the patient’s weight and height. Patients start preparing about a day before they are to undergo Taxotere infusion; they take a corticosteroid to minimize potential side effects such as fluid retention.
Taxotere and Permanent Hair Loss
According to The Telegraph newspaper, long-term baldness, or alopecia, could occur to 3 percent of patients on Taxotere. In one study, nearly 16 percent of responses in a 2013 questionnaire indicated long-term hair loss on the scalp. The rate was based on 134 responses; the survey was sent to almost 200 people. Furthermore, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Cancer Center said that when Taxotere is used alongside other particular drugs, the likelihood increases that patients will experience long-term baldness.
In December 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued updated safety information, noting that cases of alopecia (permanent hair loss) had been reported.
A study published in the medical journal Annals of Oncology indicated that permanent and severe alopecia was a newly reported complication of docetaxel-based (Taxotere) cancer treatment. Twenty women treated for breast cancer with Taxotere were reported as having developed permanent hair loss between 2007 and 2011.
Taxotere Side Effects
Common side effects of Taxotere include, but are not limited to:
- Injection site reactions such as pain, redness, or swelling
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or loss of appetite
- Feeling tired or weak
- Muscle pain
- Missed menstrual periods
- Temporary hair loss
- Fingernail or toenail changes
Other Taxotere Risks
A 2014 safety communication issued by the FDA warned that chemotherapy drug docetaxel (Taxotere) contains alcohol, which may cause patients to experience intoxication or feel drunk during or after treatment. Health care professionals are encouraged to consider this risk prior to administering the medication.
Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuits Filed
People are filing lawsuits against the drug maker because they feel that Sanofi-Aventis did not adequately warn them about the risk of permanent hair loss associated with Taxotere. While Taxotere labels have warned of hair loss, not until the 2015 FDA revision did labels say the loss could be permanent. One lawsuit claims that Sanofi-Aventis alerted European health authorities in 2005 of this risk and did the same in 2012 for Canadian officials, with reasons remaining unclear why the company waited until 2015 to alert the public in the United States.
Plaintiffs in Taxotere lawsuits claim that if they had known of the risk of permanent hair loss, they would have opted for an equally effective drug, like Taxol, one that has a much smaller chance of leading to permanent alopecia. Furthermore, a lawsuit filed in early 2016 alleges that Sanofi-Aventis concealed information about the potential toxicity of Taxotere.
How a Virginia Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit Can Help
Drug makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by bad drugs may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Virginia. You can fill out the form on this page or contact us by phone or email.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to 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.
