Have you or someone you love suffered from side effects after exposure to the drug Tasigna? Tasigna is a popular medication, used for treating chronic myeloid leukemia.

Unfortunately, the use of CML Tasigna has been linked with a few serious side effects, including the condition known as peripheral vascular disease—a condition which may increase the risk of even more serious and life-threatening issues like stroke.

Basics of Tasigna

Tasigna (also sold under the generic name nilotinib) is a leukemia treatment manufactured by Novartis, and belongs to a class of drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Tasigna was approved to treat chronic myeloid leukemia cancer, or CML, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2007.

Since its approval, CML Tasigna has grown steadily more popular. Now, just over a decade since its approval, Tasigna is now one of the most widely used cancer drugs available. In fact, in 2016 alone, this medication brought in $1.7 billion in sales.

Tasigna is the first in its class of tyrosine kinase inhibitors to make it possible for patients to discontinue therapy, yet maintain the same molecular response as when they were on the drug, achieving Treatment-free Remission (TFR). Its label was updated in 2017 to include this information.

Unfortunately, despite these dramatic steps forward and the benefits this would offer patients, Tasigna has also been associated with some severe complications.

Side Effects of Taking Tasigna for CML

A growing number of patients are claiming that they were not given adequate warning about the risks of taking Tasigna for CML, including atherosclerosis. Essentially, when a patient suffers atherosclerosis, their artery walls thicken and plaque builds up, limiting essential blood flow and causing peripheral vascular disease.

Peripheral vascular disease, sometimes known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD), can involve symptoms including cramping, pain or tiredness, as well as difficulty walking or climbing stairs. The symptoms of peripheral arterial disease often lessen with rest, but physical activity once again sparks these symptoms.

The FDA required that Novartis update its Black Box warning label for CML Tasigna to include the risk of peripheral arterial disease.

Filing a CML Tasigna Lawsuit

Some patients claim that Novartis was aware of the risk of CML Tasigna side effects, yet failed to warn the public and the medical community about these risks for a substantial period of time. Plaintiffs may cite side effects such as:

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

If you or someone you love has suffered from any of the above side effects after taking CML Tasigna, you may be able to file a CML Tasigna lawsuit against Novartis. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these side effects, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.