The chemotherapy drug Taxotere has been linked to permanent and disfiguring hair loss in breast cancer patients nationwide. Langdon & Emison is representing patients across the country who are suffering from permanent hair loss after being treated with the drug.
Taxotere, also known as docetaxel, is widely prescribed to prevent the growth and spread of cancer cells. In 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it as a chemotherapy drug to treat breast cancer. Taxotere is one of two major chemotherapy drugs used in the U.S. The other drug, Taxol, is made by Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Lawsuits allege that Taxotere manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis, failed to warn U.S. doctors and patients about the risks of permanent hair loss associated with the risk and provided no such warning on the drug’s label from 1999 through December 2015, despite knowing about the risks.
Research has repeatedly linked permanent hair loss to Taxotere. In 2005, Sanofi told the European Medicines Agency (the equivalent of the FDA) that it found permanent hair loss in 9.2 percent of Taxotere patients. This was Sanofi’s own study. A 2013 study published by the National Cancer Institute found permanent hair loss as a side effect in 10-15 percent of patients who took Taxotere.
Lawsuits allege Sanofi misrepresented the effectiveness of Taxotere and hid problems about permanent hair loss to increase profits and market share. In the 1960s Sanofi developed an alternative to Taxol and claimed it increased the potency of the drug, thereby making it more effective; however, the FDA initially said the drug was too toxic and would not approve it. Sanofi went back to the drawing board, changed its marketing and later the drug was approved.
Multiple studies also suggest that Taxotere is no more effective than alternative chemotherapy treatments, such as Taxol, that do not cause permanent hair loss. In 2014, the pharmaceutical giant reported revenues of $36.5 billion.
Contact Langdon & Emison
Breast cancer patients should not survive cancer only to suffer from permanent and disfiguring hair loss. If you or a loved one has experienced hair loss six months after Taxotere treatment, contact Langdon & Emison for a free case evaluation at 866-931-2115 or click on the chat button.