Nilotinib side effects can include severe and rapid-onset hardening of the arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis.

Nilotinib is the generic version of Tasigna, a chemotherapy drug designed to treat chronic myeloid leukemia. In 2016, nilotinib generated $1.7 billion in sales worldwide.

Tasigna works by blocking the work of certain enzymes within cancer cells that are responsible for cell growth and reproduction. A type of targeted chemotherapy treatment, Tasigna (nilotinib) belongs to a class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

Nilotinib is popular because it is a pill that is taken orally, and it causes minimal damage to healthy cells while interrupting the growth of cancerous cells

The label on the U.S. packaging that described nilotinib side effects did not include a warning about the risks of atherosclerosis until the FDA ordered the notice added in 2013. Tasigna was approved by the FDA in 2007.

Atherosclerosis Among Nilotinib Side Effects

When the arterial walls begin to thicken with white blood cells and plaque, the result is atherosclerosis. These thickened walls impair the flow of blood. As the arterial pathways narrow, blood flow becomes so reduced that the patient suffers from a condition known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) that most often affects the legs.

The patient’s lack of blood flow eventually can lead to limb amputation or death.

PAD symptoms include muscle cramps that affect the hips, thighs or calves when attempting to climb stairs, exercise, or sometimes, just walk. The American Heart Association says cramping is the muscles’ way of warning the body that not enough blood is flowing to meet the increased demand of movement

More than a dozen clinical studies have found a link between Tasigna and atherosclerosis. In 2011, the first published study indicated 25 percent of Tasigna patients developed vascular issues, and 16 percent developed PAD.

PAD might also include the following additional symptoms:

• Sores on the foot or toe that have difficulty healing
• Gangrene
• A marked decrease in the temperature of one leg’s foot or lower part of the leg compared to the other leg or the rest of the body
• Poor nail growth on the toes or hair growth on the legs
• Erectile dysfunction

Because of the delay in the warning of atherosclerosis as one of the most dangerous nilotinib side effects, many patients who underwent treatment with Tasigna for chronic myeloid leukemia might not realize their PAD is a result of the chemotherapy treatment.

Patients and their families who have suffered nilotinib side effects may be eligible for compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering or wrongful death.

Among the nilotinib side effects that patients may seek legal advice for compensation are:

• Atherosclerosis
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Coronary artery disease
• Circulatory problems of the extremities, heart or brain
• Embolic occlusion
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Infection
• Amputation
• Death

According to a postmarket review by the FDA, studies of nilotinib side effects “strongly suggest an association between nilotinib” and PAD.