Sanofi Aventis is facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) from numerous women filing Taxotere alopecia claims. Each of these Taxotere alopecia lawsuits alleges the chemotherapy drug caused the plaintiffs to develop permanent hair loss, with the warning label failing to mention that possibility.

One of the most recent additions comes from a New Jersey woman, who also alleges Taxotere alopecia. Plaintiff Joy D. says she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2013, and she promptly began aggressive treatment.

Her oncologist prescribed her Taxotere (docetaxel), after reviewing the marketing materials provided by Sanofi Aventis. According to her Taxotere alopecia lawsuit, Joy was prescribed Taxotere on a strict chemotherapy schedule from June 26, 2013 to Nov. 7, 2014.

During this time Joy reportedly developed Taxotere alopecia, or permanent hair loss, and her hair has not grown back since then. Joy opted to file legal action against Sanofi Aventis after discovering the company may have known the possibility of Taxotere alopecia allegedly without warning the public.

This was indicated by the earlier warnings the European medical community received before the United States.

Overview of Taxotere Alopecia Allegations

Taxotere was approved by the FDA in the 1990s to be a treatment drug for breast cancer chemotherapy. Since entering the market, Taxotere has been approved to treat a variety of other cancers, but breast cancer is its most prominent use.

As a chemotherapy drug, Taxotere is only prescribed by an oncologist on a strict chemotherapy schedule. However, even with this diligence, numerous women have alleged this chemotherapy drug caused them to develop Taxotere alopecia.

Alopecia may occur from Taxotere due to the chemotherapy drug’s treatment mechanism, which works by targeting rapidly reproducing cells. Unfortunately, hair follicles are some of of the first cells targeted, making hair loss a common chemotherapy side effect.

While hair loss from chemotherapy is common, patients can typically expect to grow their hair back sometime after treatment. This has reportedly not been the cases with some patients who took Taxotere. The warning label states that hair “generally grows back.”

Taxotere alopecia became public knowledge since the FDA warned against the complication in December 2015, noting several cases of permanent hair loss that were reported in conjunction with Taxotere.

Even though Taxotere alopecia can be devastating to patients, Sanofi Aventis allegedly failed to warn the public of this.

Joy states that she never would have used the chemotherapy drug if she had known the possibility of Taxotere alopecia. Joy is filing this Taxotere alopecia lawsuit in MDL No. 2740 and is seeking multiple damages for negligence and failure to warn.

This Taxotere Alopecia Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-05137-KDE-MBN, in the U.S. District Court of U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana.