A new complaint has been filed against Sanofi with allegations of Taxotere alopecia following chemotherapy.

Plaintiff Pam G. has filed a lawsuit against Sanofi, alleging that her hair loss following chemotherapy is a case of Taxotere alopecia. Pam says she was treated with Sanofi products in 2010 and has suffered permanent hair loss since her treatment.

Pam’s lawsuit is part of a multidistrict litigation alleging their Sanofi’s products Taxotere, Docefrez and Docetaxel cause permanent hair loss.  The MDL sets forth the complaints of plaintiffs who were injured as a result of their treatment with Sanofi’s products.

Taxotere is a common chemotherapy drug for patients with breast cancer. The drug is part of the taxane family, a group of drugs derived from yew trees. Taxanes inhibit rapidly growing cells to stop the multiplication and repair of cancer cells.

However, taxanes universally target rapidly growing cells, so these drugs also inhibit growth of hair cells. Hair follicle cells are some of the most rapidly growing healthy cells in the human body, so taxane medications will frequently attack these cells as if they were cancerous. Although this mechanism makes taxanes very effective as chemotherapy agents, it also results in hair loss in patients.

The complaint argues that Taxotere alopecia is seriously devastating for women because it causes emotional and mental damage. Women with cancer who experience permanent hair loss report lower self-esteem, negative body image, and a poorer quality of life.

Many women feel that by losing their hair they have lost a piece of their femininity and attractiveness which can be detrimental to their personal relationships.

In addition to self-image issues, woman with permanent hair loss report changes in their interactions. They claim that hair loss symbolized cancer hair loss, so they are forced to carry the cancer stigma long after their treatment is done.

Taxotere alopecia can also increase risk of injury to the body. Hair such as nose hair, ear hair, and eyelashes serve important functions and protect delicate areas of the body from injury, debris and infection.

According to the Taxotere alopecia lawsuit, numerous studies have been published globally which link Taxotere to permanent hair loss.

“To this day, Defendants have not adequately satisfied their duty to update the Taxotere, Docefrez, Docetaxel Injection, and Docetaxel Injection Concentrate products’ labeling or prescribing information to reflect their knowledge as to the true risks of developing the injuries complained of herein,” the Taxotere lawsuit states.

The complaint alleges that Sanofi refuses to disclose this side effect to patients, physicians, and the FDA for the purpose of increasing profits. “Defendants misrepresented the novel nature of their product in order to gain a market advantage resulting in billions of dollars in revenues at the expense of vulnerable cancer victims,” the lawsuit argues.

Pam accuses Sanofi of strict products liability, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, and fraud and deceit. She seeks damages, loss of earnings, medical expenses, emotional damages, restitution, attorney’s fees and court costs.

The Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-01767-KDE-MBN and is part of the Taxotere MDL In re: Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 2:16-md-02740-KDE-MBN, in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.