Yet another cancer patient has filed a lawsuit against Sanofi Aventis alleging she was not warned about the risk of developing permanent alopecia from chemotherapy.

The Michigan woman, plaintiff Ahnamaria C., alleges she began taking the drug Taxotere as part of her chemotherapy regimen on Nov. 3, 2015. She only took the drugs for a few months, stopping in February 2016.

Although most cancer patients are aware that there is a substantial risk of losing their hair during chemotherapy treatment, they also generally expect that their hair will grow back after chemo is over. But Ahnamaria—and many others like her—found that her hair simply would not grow back even when she was done with chemotherapy treatment altogether.

Her lawsuit alleges that she suffers from permanent alopecia from chemotherapy, meaning that her hair is now patchy with visible bald spots. Even her hair’s texture has changed, she alleges. The hair loss extends to her eyebrows and eyelashes as well.

Ahnamaria alleges that she was not aware of the risk of permanent alopecia from chemotherapy until over a year after she completed her Taxotere chemotherapy. Up until then, she thought that her hair loss was only temporary. But permanent alopecia due to chemotherapy is not actually rare—thousands of women have filed lawsuits against chemotherapy drug manufacturers after realizing their hair would not grow back.

Ahnamaria filed her lawsuit on Sept. 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including failure to warn, negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, and several others.

Background of Taxotere

Taxotere (also known by its generic name docetaxel) is a commonly used chemotherapy drug manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi. Taxotere was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 1996 and has grown steadily more popular over the years. Taxotere prevents cancer cells from growing, which prevents the rapid spreading of cancer cells.

However, the means by which Taxotere works to prevent the growth of cancer cells may also cause permanent alopecia from chemotherapy. Unfortunately, many patients treated with docetaxel drugs have trouble growing back their hair, or even permanent alopecia from chemotherapy.

Hair loss is the most commonly known symptom associated with chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients. Most patients go into chemotherapy aware that they run a risk of losing their hair to alopecia from the treatment. However, patients generally expect that, after chemo is over, their hair will grow back. Unfortunately, a growing number of cancer patients are discovering that they are left with permanent alopecia from chemotherapy, unable to grow their hair back at all.

Filing a Lawsuit Over Permanent Alopecia From Chemotherapy

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

Lawsuits allege that the company not only failed to adequately warn about this risk but actively concealed information, and promoted the drug as both safe and effective. Lawsuits claim that Sanofi has been aware of reports and studies linking Taxotere to permanent hair loss from chemotherapy since as far back as its approval in 1996.

If you or someone you love has suffered from permanent alopecia from chemotherapy treatment with Taxotere or another docetaxel medication, you may be able to gain financial compensation by joining Taxotere permanent hair loss litigation. Filing a Taxotere lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering a cancer patient endures, or take away the effects of permanent alopecia from chemotherapy, but it can help compensate for the financial expenses incurred by cancer treatment bills or even lost wages.

The Permanent Alopecia From Chemotherapy Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-09027-KDE-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.