Brigette Honaker  |  October 18, 2018

Category: Legal News

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Adverse Truvada side effects have prompted a personal injury lawsuit and a class action lawsuit from California patients, alleging that Gilead Sciences Inc. concealed the potential side effects of their HIV medication.

In May 2018, two sets of California patients filed a personal injury lawsuit and a class action lawsuit against Gilead Sciences Inc., alleging that the company concealed Truvada side effects and knowingly sold a defective yet profitable HIV drug despite having safer alternatives available.

Gilead sells several tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) drug to treat HIV under a variety of brand names including Truvada, Viread, and Atripla. Plaintiffs in the Truvada side effects suits claim that these drugs can cause permanent damage to the bones and kidneys. This damage is allegedly caused by the high dosage levels required for these drugs, which allegedly cause toxicity.

The personal injury lawsuit regarding Truvada side effects claims that Gilead has repeatedly made false statements that their TDF drugs had “no toxicities” and were “benign” and “extremely safe”. Despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allegedly issued two warnings to the company regarding their TDF marketing strategies due to Gilead making misrepresentations about their HIV treatments.

“A company I trusted with my life took advantage of that trust by misrepresenting the side effects of TDF, calling it the ‘Miracle Drug’ and using other deceptive marketing strategies.  Gilead shelved a far safer drug, TAF, simply to increase its long-term profits.  I’m bringing this lawsuit to try to hold Gilead responsible for their reckless focus on profits over patient safety,” said plaintiff Michael L., according to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The suits claim that Gilead was well aware of Truvada side effects associated with their TDF drug but continued to sell the profitable drugs despite knowing of a safer alternative. Gilead allegedly concealed the existence of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) drugs, which are a safer alternative to TDF drugs.

Although TAF drugs are safer for patients, TDF drugs are far more profitable. Plaintiffs in both cases argue that Gilead chose to prioritize profits over patient health.

“After learning that TAF had a higher absorption rate and largely avoided the bone and kidney toxicity associated with TDF, Gilead shelved its development of TAF and instead kept HIV infected patients and their doctors in the dark about the true risks associated with TDF, along with the solution to those risks, for over a decade,” the Truvada side effects class action lawsuit claims.

Studies related to the effectiveness of TAF drugs, which were started in 2001, were allegedly concealed until 2014 when Gilead’s patent on TDF approached expiration. Plaintiffs claim that Gilead only released their information regarding TAF drugs because they knew they would need a new form of profit with their patent on TDF drugs expiring.

Plaintiffs in the Truvada side effects class action lawsuit seeks to represent a Class of California consumers who were prescribed and ingested Truvada, Viread, or Atripla since Oct. 26, 2001, and who were exposed to Gilead’s misrepresentations directly or through their physician.

Counsel for both groups of plaintiffs seek to protect the future public health and compensate those injured by holding Gilead accountable for their alleged misrepresentations.

“For far too long big pharma has been abusing the financial and legal benefits they’ve been given under the guise of fostering research and development. These lawsuits, however, make clear that Gilead’s perverse motive of outsized profits and increased market share is not in line with patient health and safety.  Under these circumstances, the laws must be read to protect public health from corporate greed,” plaintiff counsel said to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

If you or a loved one has suffered from severe bone or kidney side effects while taking an HIV drug containing tenofovir, you may qualify for this HIV medications lawsuit investigation. An HIV drug side effects lawsuit can help to recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Learn more by filling out the free form on this page.

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