Tasigna is a leukemia medicine manufactured by Novartis, first approved around a decade ago. Though it has grown in popularity and has been part of impressive strides forward in the medical field, it has unfortunately also been linked with serious complications, including a condition known as peripheral vascular disease.

If you or someone you love has suffered from side effects of Tasigna, you may be able to file a lawsuit.

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors

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

Tasigna is now one of the most widely used tyrosine kinase inhibitors available—in fact, in 2016 alone Tasigna brought in $1.7 billion in sales.

Tasigna’s label was updated in 2017 to include information about Treatment-free Remission (TFR), which would allow patients with chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia to discontinue treatment after achieving the proper molecular response.

Tasigna is the first of tyrosine kinase inhibitors to include the possibility of discontinuing therapy but maintaining that molecular response. Patients would still have to be monitored to ensure that response continues as it should, but they would be able to stop treatment with Tasigna—something that had not previously been achieved.

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 Tasigna

More and more patients are claiming that they were not given adequate warning about the risks of Tasigna, including atherosclerosis. Essentially, when a patient suffers atherosclerosis, their artery walls thicken and plaque builds up, which limits essential blood flow and causes 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. With rest, the symptoms of peripheral vascular disease often lessen, but physical activity once again sparks these symptoms.

The loss of blood circulation from peripheral vascular disease can become a serious risk, even leading to major cardiovascular issues. In extreme cases, when the artery becomes totally blocked from peripheral vascular disease, patients may suffer from gangrene or require limb amputation. A carotid artery affected by peripheral vascular disease may result in a stroke.

A post market review from the FDA noted that its findings “strongly suggest an association between nilotinib (Tasigna) and PAOD (peripheral arterial occlusive disease).” The FDA released its findings in 2013, and as a result, Novartis updated its Black Box warning label for Tasigna to include the risk of peripheral vascular disease.

Some patients claim that Novartis was aware of the risk of Tasigna side effects, yet failed to warn the public and the medical community about these dangers for a substantial period of time.

If you or someone you love has suffered from Tasigna side effects like peripheral vascular disease or related conditions, you may be able to file a 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.