Taxotere Lawsuit
(Docetaxel)
Problem summary
Lawsuits filed by thousands of breast cancer survivors across the country allege that the makers of the widely-used chemotherapy drug, Taxotere, hid from patients the potential for the treatment to cause permanent hair loss, or alopecia, in women. Studies published in recent years have shown that as many as 6% to 9% of breast cancer patients treated with Taxotere experience permanent baldness, a side effect that can have a profound adverse impact on their well-being and overall quality of life, and one that Sanofi has likely known about for decades.
In light of these findings, women who have experienced irreversible alopecia after being treated with Taxotere are now taking legal action against Sanofi-Aventis, accusing the company of negligence and failure to warn. According to plaintiffs in the Taxotere litigation, a woman’s hair is an important part of her identity, and for Sanofi to aggressively market Taxotere as a safer and more effective alternative to other chemotherapy treatments, without making patients aware of the potential for the drug to cause irreversible alopecia, is unconscionable.
About Taxotere
Taxotere (docetaxel) is a chemotherapy drug approved by the FDA to treat a variety of cancers, but most commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer. The drug is administered intravenously and works by slowing or halting the division of rapidly-growing cells. While Taxotere may be an effective treatment for breast cancer, research shows that side effects of the chemotherapy drug may include permanent hair loss in women. Although Taxotere has been on the market in the United States since 1996, it wasn’t until fairly recently that women experiencing permanent hair loss after chemotherapy began to make the connection between their alopecia side effects and Taxotere treatment. However, there is evidence that Sanofi has known about the risk for decades.
According to reports, Sanofi became aware of the potential for Taxotere to cause irreversible hair loss as early as 1998, when a company-sponsored clinical trial revealed that 9.2% of women treated with the chemotherapy drug suffered permanent alopecia. In 2012, a study published in the Annals of Oncology followed 20 cancer patients treated with Taxotere, and researchers found that all 20 women suffered permanent hair loss which, despite attempted alopecia treatments, left them with sparse, incomplete and clumpy hair regrowth. Of these women, about 40% experienced “severe impairment” of quality of life as a result of their hair loss and one woman said “she would have preferred not to receive any chemotherapy for her breast cancer” rather than suffer a side effect as distressing as permanent baldness.
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Taxotere Side Effects
Although temporary hair loss is a common side effect of many chemotherapy drugs, patients’ hair typically grows back after treatment ends. No cancer treatment should cause irreversible baldness, a condition many women may consider disfiguring and one that can have adverse physical and emotional consequences, including:
- Depression
- Diminished quality of life
- Poor body image
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Decreased social functioning
- Inability to return to work
Sanofi-Aventis now lists hair loss as a possible side effect of Taxotere treatment in its drug literature, but the manufacturer originally claimed that “hair generally grows back” once the treatment is completed, a claim research has since shown to be inaccurate. The Taxotere packaging now states that “in some cases (frequency unknown) permanent hair loss has been observed” in patients, and breast cancer survivors who received Taxotere treatment and suffered permanent alopecia as a result may be eligible for compensation through a product liability lawsuit.
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Taxotere Settlements & Litigation
As more information comes to light about the potential for Taxotere treatment to cause permanent hair loss in women, the number of Taxotere lawsuits filed in state and federal courts across the country continues to grow, with plaintiffs accusing Sanofi of preying on vulnerable cancer patients who had no idea their chemotherapy treatment could have such lasting effects on their appearance, well-being and quality of life. And as of May 2018, 8,557 federal lawsuits have been consolidated for coordinated pretrial proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL).
The Taxotere litigation involves allegations that Sanofi-Aventis knew that its chemotherapy drug could cause permanent alopecia in women, but failed to warn patients and the medical community about this risk. Plaintiffs also accuse Sanofi-Aventis of manufacturing a dangerous drug, failing to adequately test the medication before making it available to the public, and falsely marketing Taxotere as a superior alternative to other chemotherapy drugs, while downplaying the risk of irreversible hair loss. Taxotere hair loss lawsuits seek damages for medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earning potential and other losses, and the first four Taxotere lawsuits, known as bellwether trials, are set to go to trial in 2019.
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