The CML cancer treatment medication Tasigna has been linked to a form of cardiovascular disease known as atherosclerosis that causes the buildup of plaque in arteries.

More than a dozen studies have associated the CML cancer treatment medication to the risks of atherosclerosis that can cause other adverse side effects and complications such as peripheral arterial disease.

Reportedly, Tasigna causes the swelling of arteries which then limits the amount that blood can flow to the body’s extremities such as the legs, arms, but even heart and brain. This then leads to complications including limb amputation, other cardiovascular injuries, and fatalities.

However, health risks associated with Tasigna, a popular cancer drug, may not have been made adequately clear by the company’s manufacturer, Novartis. Physicians and cancer patients across the nation say they were never warned about the severe cardiovascular effects associated with Tasigna. This means that thousands faced life-threatening injuries and complications simply because they were never warned about them and relied on the drug’s warning label.

Some of the side effects and complications linked to the CML cancer treatment medication include:

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

Overview: CML Cancer Treatment Medication

Tasigna was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2007. It is prescribed to help treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML); a slow-progressing blood-cell cancer condition that begins in the bone marrow. It is also part of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) family that targets an enzyme (BCR-ABL) responsible for the growth of cancer. It is one of the most popular cancer medications sold with over worldwide sales of $1.7 billion in 2016.

While Tasgina was approved by the FDA with a Black Box warning pertaining to other adverse side effects, patients say they were not advised of atherosclerosis side effects linked to the medication until years later. Thus, the medication, along with its big name, comes along with big health consequences as well. The drug essentially endangers the very patients its attempts to treat.

Atherosclerosis decreases blood flow as the walls of the arteries narrow from white blood cell buildup and fibrofatty plaque. It causes the walls to harden and thicken limiting blood flow. When this occurs, it can cause a much more serious condition known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) to occur.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are various types of symptoms of atherosclerosis depending on which arteries are affected. For example:

• Symptoms of atherosclerosis in the heart may include pressure (angina) or chest pain.
• Symptoms of atherosclerosis in the brain may include sudden numbness/weakness in the legs or arms; temporary loss of vision in one eye and difficulty speaking or slurred speech.
• Symptoms of atherosclerosis in the legs or arms may include pain in the legs when walking.
• Symptoms of atherosclerosis in the kidneys may include kidney failure or high blood pressure.

The Mayo Clinic explains that peripheral artery disease is a circulatory problem that usually occurs in the legs and other extremities. Most notably, symptoms include leg pain when walking. However, other symptoms of PAD include:

• Cramping in one or both hips
• Leg numbness/weakness
• Color change in the legs
• Slow toenail growth
• Toe sores, or sores on the feet and legs that won’t heal
• Weak pulse in the legs/feet