A Washington 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 Washington Taxotere lawsuit and seek compensation for damages.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Washington 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?
According to Breastcancer.org, Taxotere is a chemotherapy drug most commonly used in patients suffering from breast cancer, though it may also be used to treat stomach cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, metastatic prostate cancer and head and neck cancer. Typically, Taxotere, chemically named docetaxel, is used with other drugs during chemotherapy following surgery, such as a mastectomy. It is given to patients intravenously, as there is currently no pill form of the drug available.
Taxotere is a member of the class of drugs used in chemotherapy called plant alkaloids, meaning that they are derived from plants, according to Chemocare. Taxanes like Taxotere are made using the Pacific Yew tree’s bark. Other taxanes that may be used instead of Taxotere include Taxol and Abraxane.
How Does the Drug Work?
Taxotere is an intravenous medication belonging to the group taxanes, which work by interrupting the division of cancerous cells, according to the National Cancer Institute. In the process of doing so, however, the drug can kill healthy cells, including those that produce hair. In some cases, the healthy hair-producing cells are damaged to the point where they are no longer able to regenerate. When this occurs, patients may be unable to regrow hair anywhere on their body.
Possible Taxotere Side Effects
Cancer patients often suffer from alopecia, an autoimmune disorder characterized by temporary hair loss that occurs during their chemotherapy and radiation treatments. In addition to scalp hair, people with alopecia may lose their eyebrows, eyelashes and pubic hair, according to a study published in the Oxford Journals. Once patients have received their last chemotherapy treatment, however, they usually experience hair regrowth within three to six months.
Permanent hair loss is not a common side effect of chemotherapy, as patients can generally expect that their hair will grow back after time. Cancer patients who have received Taxotere, on the other hand, run the risk of living the rest of their lives without hair. In fact, a CBS News report stated that an estimated 6.3 percent of cancer patients treated with Taxotere experienced permanent baldness as a result of taking the drug.
Marketing Concerns
Concerns have been raised over the marketing strategy used by Sanofi-Aventis to promote Taxotere. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent the manufacturer a warning letter over the claims made that Taxotere was a more effective treatment than other taxanes, including Taxol. The letter cited a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in which researchers found that Taxotere was not any more effective than other similar drugs. The FDA warned Sanofi-Aventis that its promotional materials were misleading, as there were no substantiated claims that Taxotere was superior.
Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit Filed
An Ohio woman diagnosed with breast cancer was given Taxotere as a part of her chemotherapy cocktail, and suffered permanent hair loss as a result. She then filed a lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis claiming that the drug company was negligent and failed to warn patients that permanent hair loss was a possible side effect of taking the medication. The woman alleged that although warnings of permanent hair loss were given to patients in Canada and Europe, the information was not present in any of the company’s publications in America.
The cancer survivor claimed that she would not have taken the drug had she known that she would lose all of her hair permanently, as there are other drug options that would not have caused this serious side effect. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. People from all over the country have filed lawsuits against Sanofi-Aventis for emotional trauma, medical expenses and other damages stemming from the unexpected permanent hair loss.
How a Washington 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 Taxotere 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 Washington. 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.
