Taxotere

Taxotere is the brand-name version of docetaxel, a chemotherapeutic anti-cancer drug made and marketed by the French global pharmaceutical corporation Sanofi. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Taxotere for use in the treatment of breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, stomach cancer in advanced stages, head and neck cancers, and metastatic prostate cancer. As a chemotherapy drug, Taxotere comes with many potential side effects that all its users will suffer, and cancer patients eligible for the drug sign on for these side effects in hopes that Taxotere will help treat them. In many cases, however, women prescribed Taxotere for breast cancer treatment have gone on to suffer from permanent hair loss, even after their cancer went into remission. Our North Carolina and South Carolina drug injury lawyers are accepting cases involving Taxotere injuries and may be able to help you.

Hair loss is a common side effect of many cancer chemotherapies, but with most patients this does not last forever. Chronic hair loss, like that suffered by many women who were prescribed Taxotere regimens for their breast cancer treatment, is called alopecia. The risk of permanent alopecia came to light after survivors from the drugs’ earliest releases began coming forward with their stories of “male pattern baldness”. The drug, Taxol (paclitaxel) has less severe side effects for breast cancer patients, though, and some women have claimed that if not for Sanofi’s concealing of critical data, the rival drug Taxol might have been prescribed to them instead. If you have been hurt by Taxotere, there is no charge to discuss your case with one of our North Carolina or South Carolina personal injury attorneys.

Common side effects of Taxotere treatments include pain in the bones and muscles, constipation, diarrhea, fluid retention/weight gain, nausea, numbness of the extremities, infection, low blood cell counts, sores, nail discoloration, and fatigue. Many women who took Taxotere as prescribed say that they were not warned of the risk of baldness they might face for the rest of their lives.

There is growing evidence in the United States and abroad that Sanofi had at least partial knowledge of the physically and emotionally damaging alopecia the drug catalyzed in some patients. Studies performed by Sanofi have now made clear that at least 3% of patients prescribed Taxotere ultimately developed permanent alopecia, with the risk more than doubling in patients who took the drug in combination with other standard chemotherapies such as Adriamycin and Cyclophosphamide. If you have experienced permanent alopecia or other injuries because you took Taxotere don’t hestitate to call one of our personal injury attorneys at Grimes Teich Anderson. We have the experience, legal knowledge and national relationships to challenge negligent companies like Sanofi. A study from the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) concluded that the percentage of patients who might face permanent alopecia could be as high as 10-15%.

Sanofi has little incentive to help the victims of permanent alopecia for which its docetaxel product, Taxotere, is responsible. Pharmaceutical corporations are flush with money for legal defenses against allegations that might have an impact on their bottom line, even when these allegations turn out to be true. Attorneys like the personal injury lawyers at Grimes Teich Anderson are essential in helping to protect your rights against insurance companies.