Two California plaintiffs recently filed a lawsuit against Gilead Sciences, alleging that they were affected by Atripla bone density complications as a result of taking the HIV medication.

One plaintiff, Devin M., says he was diagnosed with HIV in 2013, at which point he was prescribed Atripla. He says he continued taking Atripla through 2017.

The other plaintiff, Ricard W., says he was prescribed Atripla upon diagnosis with HIV in 2005, and also continued taking the drug through 2017. Both of the plaintiffs allegedly suffered from Atripla bone density complications as a direct result of exposure to the HIV drug, the lawsuit claims.

According to the Atripla bone density lawsuit, Gilead either knew or should have known about the side effects of its drug, including severe or even fatal damage to the kidneys and bones. Instead, the company presented the drug as “very safe.”

These HIV medications are intended to prevent the HIV virus from replicating in a person’s body, which in turn prevents it from being transmitted, and also help the immune system function better.

Devin and Ricardo filed the Atripla bone density lawsuit as a class action, on behalf of themselves and all others in a similar situation. The lawsuit was filed on May 8, 2018, in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles.

So far, a number of personal injury and class action lawsuits have been filed against drugmaker Gilead, alleging that Atripla and its other tenofovir-containing drugs can cause toxicity to both the kidney and bones.

Tenofovir lawsuits allege that Gilead concealed and downplayed the risks of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate drugs, and even purposely withheld a safer version of the drug (tenofovir alafenamide) from the market in order to max out the profits it could make from TDF.

HIV Medications Linked with Kidney and Bone Complications

Several HIV medications made by drugmaker Gilead include the active ingredient tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), and have been linked with kidney and bone side effects.

These kidney issues include kidney damage, kidney failure and chronic kidney disease. Bone problems linked with these drugs include bone demineralization from compromised bone density. This may lead in some cases to bone fractures.

These belong to a class of drugs known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, or NRTIs. These HIV medications include:

• Atripla
• Complera
• Stribild
• Truvada
• Viread

Lawsuits Over HIV Medications

If you or someone you love has suffered from bone or kidney complications after taking Atripla or another of these TDF-containing medications from Gilead, you may be able to pursue a lawsuit. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these side effects, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Atripla Bone Density Lawsuit is Case No. BC705063, in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles.