A Mississippi woman with cancer recently filed a Taxotere lawsuit, alleging that the drug had caused unexpected and permanent hair loss.

While most cancer patients are typically aware that hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy drugs, they also generally expect that their hair will grow back after chemotherapy is over.

In some cases, women claim, they were even told that their hair would grow back, only to suffer from permanent hair loss, or alopecia.

The plaintiff, Bessie Mae W., was diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2009. After her diagnosis, the plaintiff began chemotherapy treatment with Taxotere, otherwise known as docetaxel.

The treatment lasted between October 2009 and January 2010.

According to the lawsuit, Bessie Mae had not been informed that Taxotere can result in disfiguring, permanent hair loss.

Despite this, after chemotherapy was over, the plaintiff has not been able to grow her hair back, says the lawsuit.

Unfortunately, Bessie Mae is not alone with this problem.

Many cancer patients have discovered after cancer treatment with particular drugs, including Taxotere, their hair will either not grow back or grows back with great difficulty.

Bessie Mae filed this permanent hair loss lawsuit on multiple counts, including negligence, design and manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, and several others.

Background of Taxotere

Taxotere, otherwise known as docetaxel, is manufactured and sold by Sanofi.

Taxotere is one of the most popular breast cancer treatment drugs, and is also used for other cancer treatment, including lung cancer.

Taxotere was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996. Since its introduction to the market, Taxotere has grown increasingly more popular across the country.

Taxotere fights cancer by preventing cancer cells from growing, which prevents the cancer from its ability to quickly spread.

However, the same function that prevents the rapid growth of cancer cells may also prevent a patient’s hair from growing back after chemotherapy.

Permanent Hair Loss Lawsuits

According to this Taxotere permanent hair loss lawsuit and others like it, Sanofi either knew or should have known that Taxotere was linked with the risk of permanent hair loss.

However, the lawsuit alleges that the company not only failed to adequately warn about this risk, but even actively concealed this risk, instead promoting the drug as both safe and effective.

Indeed, lawsuits claim that Sanofi has been aware of reports and studies linking Taxotere to permanent hair loss after chemotherapy since as far back as its approval in 1996.

If you or someone you love has experienced permanent chemotherapy hair loss after cancer treatment, you may be able to gain some kind of compensation through a permanent hair loss lawsuit.

Filing a permanent hair loss lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering a cancer patient endures, but it can help compensate for the financial expenses incurred by cancer treatment bills or even lost wages.

The Taxotere Permanent Hair Loss Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-cv-759-TSL-RHW, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Northern Division.