A woman has filed a lawsuit against Sanofi Aventis, makers of the chemotherapy drug Taxotere, alleging that the drug makers omitted safety information about Taxotere.

Plaintiff Robbiegene S. filed her lawsuit in Ohio federal court stating that Taxotere can cause serious medical problems including permanent hair loss, also known as permanent alopecia.

Robbiegene was first diagnosed with cancer in her right breast in the early 2000’s and she successfully treated it by having a lumpectomy followed by radiation and tamoxifen.

In December 2014, she underwent surgery for a radical mastectomy following the results of a mammogram that indicated she had developed retro-areolar mass in her breast. In January 2015, she was diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer.

In an effort to treat her recurrent breast cancer, the plaintiff underwent chemotherapy treatment with a Taxotere injection in May 2015. As a result, Robbiegen states that she suffered from permanent hair loss.

“Women who experience permanent alopecia suffer great mental anguish as well as economic damages, including but not limited to loss of work or inability to work due to significant psychological damage,” the lawsuit states.

Omitted Safety Information about Taxotere

Robbiegene says in her lawsuit, “Defendants engaged in aggressive marketing and advertising campaigns for Taxotere that misled the consumers of Taxotere and the medical community as to the drug’s safety and efficacy. As a result, consumers have suffered injuries including permanent alopecia.”

The lawsuit also states that the Defendants “continually have made false claims of superior efficacy and omitted safety information.”

The drug manufacturer was sent multiple warning letters to the makers of Taxotere regarding their promotional materials for the drug, noting that its advertising misleadingly suggested that Taxotere was superior to other treatments and overstated the efficacy of its use.

The claim states that the FDA also told the makers of Taxotere that they omitted safety information about Taxotere by failing to discuss common side effects associated with the drug, including permanent hair loss.

In addition, the claim states that the Defendants failed to inform the public and medical community that in its 2008 study, more than 9% of patients taking Taxotere still had permanent hair loss at 10 years post treatment with the drug.

The lawsuit also takes issue with the drug manufacturers’ failure to advise patients in the United States about permanent alopecia until December 2015.

Specifically, the lawsuit states that the manufacturers omitted safety information about Taxotere when interfacing with the American public and medical community despite having warned communities in Canada and the European Union that Taxotere was associated with an increased risk of permanent hair loss.

As a result of the alleged omitted safety information about Taxotere, Robbiegene has brought forth several counts against the product’s manufacturers including strict liability for failure to warn, negligence, fraud and punitive damages.

She is seeking an award of general damages, medical expenses, past and future mental and emotional distress, punitive or exemplary damages, pre-and post-judgment interest, restitution, and disgorgement of profits or other equitable relief, compensation for attorneys’ fees and costs and any additional relief provided by the Court.

Filing a Lawsuit over Omitted Safety Information about Taxotere

If you have suffered permanent hair loss as a result of your cancer treatment with the chemotherapy drug Taxotere, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the drug manufacturers for their allegedly omitted safety information about Taxotere.

Plaintiffs who filed product liability lawsuits may be eligible to receive legal compensation to cover costs relating to medical care, emotional and physical pain and suffering and more. An experienced Taxotere attorney can review your case at no charge and can help you decide if filing a Taxotere lawsuit is right for you.

The Taxotere Permanent Alopecia Lawsuit is Case No. 2:16-cV-1038, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.