Permanent Alopecia / Hair Loss Lawsuits Reviewed Nationwide
The product liability lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential Taxotere lawsuits for individuals who have suffered permanent hair loss, known as alopecia, which may continue for years after chemotherapy treatment that involved the use of this breast cancer drug.
Please note that the lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are no longer taking on new cases involving Taxotere. The content on this page is provided for informational purposes only.
Although side effects of Taxotere were known to cause some women to experience permanent alopecia, lawsuits allege that women and the medical community were not adequately warned about the risk of:
- Baldness or Bald Spots
- Hair Loss
- Thinning Hair
- Other Problems with Hair Growth
For women, these hair loss problems from Taxotere can cause severe mental anguish, economic damages, inability to work and an overall impact on their quality of life. While breast cancer patients may expose them to the risk of permanent Taxotere balding if no other treatment options were available, this is not the case.
All claims were previously pursued by our Taxotere lawyers on a contingency fee basis, and we receive no fees or expenses unless a recovery is obtained.
Taxotere Hair Loss Problems
Taxotere (docetaxel) was introduced by Sanofi-Aventis in 1996 for treatment of metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer along with other chemotherapy drugs.
The drug is a more potent member of a family of chemotherapy drugs known as Taxanes, which makes the chemotherapy hair loss problems more toxic. However, evidence suggests that Taxotere provides no benefits over other available breast cancer treatments, such as Taxol.
Although chemotherapy is known to cause hair loss, Taxotere warnings fail to indicate that these hair loss problems are often permanent. In fact, inaccurate and misleading information was provided to women and the medical community that suggested hair loss from Taxotere typically grows back. However, many women experience a very different outcome.
Studies and case reports suggest that more than one out of every 11 women treated with Taxotere may experience persistent alopecia that continues for more than 10 years following last use of the drug.
Taxotere Alopecia Warnings
Rather than warning about the alopecia risk or issuing a Taxotere recall, Sanofi-Aventis chose to withhold information from doctors and women with breast cancer, depriving them of the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether to expose themselves to the Taxotere risk of hair loss that may continue for years after chemotherapy treatment.
Research has found that Taxotere provides no increased efficacy or benefits over Taxol, a lower potency breast cancer treatment that is a member of the same class of chemotherapy drugs. However, the drug makers placed their desire for profits before the safety and well-being of women by continuing to make false and misleading statements in promotion of the drug.
In February 2009, the FDA sent a warning letter to Sanofi-Aventis, citing unsubstantiated claims the drug maker was making about the superiority of Taxotere over Taxol.
Sanofi-Aventis appears to have engaged in illegal and fraudulent marketing to push doctors to prescribe Taxotere despite the alopecia risks. In one Taxotere lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, a former employee of the drug maker outlined attempts to entice physicians to use Taxotere by paying kickbacks and other unlawful incentives.
While Taxotere alopecia warnings are provided in some other countries, thousands of women in the U.S. have received this chemotherapy drug without understanding that side effects may leave them with permanent hair problems for the rest of their life.
Allegations Raised in Taxotere Alopecia Lawsuits
According to allegations raised in alopecia lawsuits over Taxotere, the maker of this breast cancer drug has:
- Failed to adequately warn about the risk of permanent hair problems following Taxotere chemotherapy;
- Failed to properly research the risk of alopecia with Taxotere compared to Taxol and other breast cancer treatments;
- Provided false and misleading statements about the “superior efficacy” of Taxotere;
- Engaged in illegal marketing and promotions to entice doctors to prescribe Taxotere, despite an apparent lack of any added benefits, and the potential risk of hair growth problems;
- Failed to update the warnings or recall Taxotere after learning that over 9% of women experience hair loss side effects that continue long after chemotherapy;
Taxotere Class Action Lawyers
The Taxotere alopecia lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing individual hair loss claims and class action lawsuits for women throughout the United States.
Financial compensation may be available as a result of the drug manufacturer’s decision to pray on one of the most vulnerable groups of individuals.
Chemotherapy drugs similar to Taxotere were available before this medication was ever introduced, which are at least as effective and do not pose the same risk of permanent alopecia.
All Taxotere cases are pursued under a contingency fee agreement by the lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A., which means that there are no out-of-pocket costs to hire our law firm, and we only receive an attorney fee or reimbursement of expenses if a recovery or Taxotere settlement is obtained.