Most people are aware that the chemotherapy causes hair loss. That is because chemotherapy drugs are designed to attack and kill rapidly dividing cells, which also include hair follicles. However, most chemo-related hair loss is temporary. Most patients are able to re-grow their hair after their treatment has concluded. Unfortunately, patients treated with the chemotherapy drug Taxotere may be at risk for permanent alopecia (hair loss).
Taxotere lawsuits are alleging that the manufacturer of Taxotere (docetaxel), Sanofi-Aventis, failed to warn both doctors and patients of the potential risk of permanent alopecia. Further, they argue that if patients and their physicians had been aware of the risk, they would have chosen other, effective types of chemotherapy drugs that did not carry the risk of permanent baldness.
The injury attorneys at Joye Law Firm are currently investigating serious side effects due to Taxotere:
- Hair Loss
- Nausea
- Pain/swelling at the injection site
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
If you or a loved one has experience hair loss while undergoing chemotherapy, contact the Joye Law Firm today. The lawyers at Joye have secured over a half a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for injured clients, and we’re ready to fight for you.
Taxotere and Hair Loss
Taxotere is the most widely prescribed drug in its class. It is used to treat the majority of breast cancer patients in the United States. The appeal is that unlike other chemotherapy drugs, Taxotere can be administered once every three weeks, as opposed to weekly. This allows patients greater freedom and fewer trips to the doctor. However, it is not considered to be more effective than other drugs in its class.
While the thought of less frequent treatment is attractive to many women, few are aware of the potential disfiguring side effect associated with the drug. Lawsuits allege that Sanofi-Aventis aggressively marketed the drug, without publicizing the potential risks, even though the research existed. A study (GEICAM 9805) sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis showed that 9.2% of patients using Taxotere suffered hair loss lasting more than 10 years. Research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute conference showed “long term significant scalp alopecia” may affect 10-15% of patients using the drug. In 2015, the FDA ordered the potential for permanent hair loss be added to Taxotere warning label.
