According to a Taxotere lawsuit, Sanofi was aware that the complications of the drug were more extreme than those of similar products, yet chose to actively hide the issues and promote the drug as if it were perfectly safe.

The Taxotere lawsuit, filed recently by California plaintiff Ami D., alleges that Sanofi essentially engaged in a long-lasting plot to both cover up Taxotere side effects and boost Taxotere sales, placing users at increased risk of chemo hair loss without warning.

According to the lawsuit, the drug has a higher toxicity level than similar medications, which also ratchets up the effects of complications such as chemo hair loss. For some Taxotere users, the chemo hair loss they experience as a result of taking Taxotere is permanent.

While hair loss is commonly associated with chemotherapy, the lawsuit claims that patients were not adequately warned about the likelihood, extent, or potential permanency of the hair loss they could experience as a result of using Taxotere. According to Ami, this subterfuge is unforgivable.

“Defendants [preyed] on one of the most vulnerable groups of individuals at the most difficult time in their lives,” the plaintiff said. “Defendants obtained billions of dollars in increased revenues at the expense of unwary cancer victims simply hoping to survive their condition and return to a normal life.”

The lawsuit claims that Sanofi’s alleged cover-up scheme began way back in 1996, the year that Taxotere was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Not only did Sanofi represent its product as safe and effective in promotional materials, but also trained employees to actively misrepresent the product as safe and effective for off-label uses, says the suit.

This scheme was highly beneficial for Taxotere, according to the lawsuit, boosting sales from $424 million to $1.4 billion over a mere four years.

Though Sanofi claims that Taxotere is superior and more effective than similar drugs on the market, Ami instead claims that the drug may be more potent than others, but does not offer any increased efficacy or benefits.

According to the Taxotere lawsuit, Sanofi was are of the high risk of permanent chemo hair loss by the late 1990s. A study published during this time period showed 9.2 percent of patients who took Taxotere experienced at least 10 years of chemo hair loss. Despite this knowledge, the lawsuit claims, Sanofi purposefully and maliciously misrepresented the drug, claiming that “hair generally grows back.”

Taxotere Background

Taxotere, a chemotherapy treatment drug, has been linked with difficulties with patient hair regrowth after chemo. Taxotere works by stopping the further growth of cancer cells, inhibiting their ability to separate and spread the cancer.

Taxotere, also known as docetaxel, is used as chemo for breast cancer, as well as lung, prostate, and stomach cancers.

Some patients may not be aware of the name of their chemo drug, so it can be difficult to identify the drug and determine whether or not it is responsible for chemo hair loss problems.

Taxotere side effects may also include various allergic reactions, as is the case with many similar drugs.

Taxotere Lawsuits

Taxotere lawsuits claim that Sanofi, the drug’s manufacturer, was aware of the chemo hair loss side effects of the drug, but failed to inform patients of the risk of permanent hair loss.

Chemo hair loss is one of the more well-known Taxotere side effects, but in many cases with other drugs it grows back. Some women who have taken Taxotere report being told that their hair would grow back after chemo was over, but later experience problems with hair regrowth after chemo.

If you or someone you know has experienced chemo hair loss or are having trouble with hair regrowth after chemo, you may be able to gain some kind of compensation by filing a Taxotere hair loss lawsuit. A Taxotere lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering felt by cancer patients, but it can help with the financial issues that go along with high medical bills.