Taxotere^® Lawsuit

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Women battling breast cancer deserve to be fully informed of all side effects associated with their therapy. Unfortunately, one pharmaceutical company chose to withhold the fact that their product produced permanent alopecia (hair loss) in almost 10% of patients. Taxotere, manufactured by the French drug giant Sanofi-Aventis was approved by the FDA in 1996 and while this side effect had been identified through their own studies, they failed to disclose this fact to the FDA.

Two decades later, Taxotere has finally been forced to include a warning on the package that permanent hair loss is a potential side effect. That warning comes too late for tens of thousands of women who are now dealing with permanent hair loss.

Meyers & Flowers has launched a Taxotere lawsuit against the manufacturers citing their negligence in providing full disclosure of all side effects connected with their drug. Since it is used primarily in treatment of breast cancer, millions of women undergoing Taxotere therapy were unaware that their hair loss might be permanent.

The emotional devastation caused by permanent hair loss has been an unexpected life changing effect particularly when an equally successful drug, Taxol could have been chosen instead of Taxotere.

Taxotere Lawsuit Chicago

What is the difference between Taxotere and Taxol?

Taxotere is a chemotherapy drug indicated for treatment of breast cancer as well as other cancers such as prostate, stomach and non-small cell lung cancer. Taxotere is the synthetic form of a plant alkaloid called paciltaxel. The natural compound is extracted from the bark of the Pacific yew tree and has been in use in chemotherapy for almost 4 decades under the trade name Taxol®.

The developers of Taxotere were able to manipulate the synthetic molecule to twice the strength of the natural product and it is thought that this increase is responsible for permanent hair loss in some patients. Taxol has a long track record of results without the devastating side effect of permanent hair loss.

Obviously in men the emotion impact may not be a great as in women, but the fact remains that the manufacturers of Taxotere were negligent in disclosing the fact that up to 10% of patients will experience permanent hair loss.

The power of corporate profits

Chemotherapy drugs are a big business. The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis is the fifth largest drug company in the world measured by prescription sales. In 2014 sales were in excess of 35 billion USD. Their appetite for increasing their market share prompted them to develop a synthetic version of the trusted chemotherapy drug Taxol.

Before release in the United States studies had indicated that there was a problem with permanent hair loss in patients undergoing treatment. As a result, warnings of this side effect were placed on the product in Europe. However, when the product was introduced to the US market, that warning was omitted.

Only recently, in December 2015, the manufacturers finally complied with the FDA and placed a warning on the product for US patients. Once their product information was updated, lawsuits began to be filed against them for negligently failing to warn consumers of this devastating risk. Meyers & Flowers we can provide a top Chicago Taxotere attorney to assist you in obtaining compensation for your losses. Our defective medical devices team is in no way intimidated by multinational corporations who have harmed US residents.

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Emotional side effects of Taxotere

Women undergoing chemotherapy are aware of the fact that temporary hair loss is almost inevitable. It is also understood that this condition will be temporary and that hair loss will be remedied. With those affected by Taxotere, permanent hair loss is not only experienced on the head; eyebrows and eyelashes also fail to re-grow. Wearing a wig can do much for a woman’s self esteem but there are few options for replacing eyebrows and eyelashes short of cosmetic surgery.

No recall of Taxotere

Investigation into Taxotere is in the early stages in terms of litigation. As lawsuits make their way through the system, discovery of further evidence of undisclosed side effects may surface. So far, the FDA has not placed a recall on Taxotere only requiring a warning be placed on the product. The manufacturer reluctantly agreed to do this in December 2015. Taxotere lawyers across the United States are currently compiling medical devices damages cases which will likely reveal other issues with this drug.

Fighting a pharmaceutical giant

The fact that Taxotere was aware of the potential for permanent hair loss and failed to disclose this is of itself grounds for conducting a lawsuit. As a nationally acclaimed personal injury law firm, Meyers & Flowers has the resources necessary for a lawsuit against a pharmaceutical giant. It is not unusual for these lawsuits to require thousands of hours of time and millions of dollars before they are settled. Fighting huge corporations is routine for our attorneys; our clients need not concern themselves with the details of bringing their case to trial or to a successful settlement.

Retaining a top tier Taxotere lawyer

People who have been affected by permanent hair loss after undergoing chemotherapy with Taxotere will need an experienced lawyer to represent them. Our firm is proud of our record of obtaining significant compensation for damages caused by faulty medical products and particularly in cases where disclosure was absent or intentionally misleading. Contact us today to get one of the best Taxotere lawyer Chicago has to offer on your side.

If you or your loved one is now dealing with the emotional devastation of permanent hair loss, call us for a consultation. As always, we collect no fees until we win your case.

Taxotere® Lawsuit