Chemo drug maker Sanofi Aventis is facing a new Taxotere lawsuit from a Louisiana woman who allegedly developed permanent chemotherapy hair loss.

After receiving the chemotherapy drug for breast cancer treatments, Plaintiff Wanda S. alleges her permanent hair loss (known clinically as alopecia) was directly linked to Taxotere side effects.

According to her Taxotere lawsuit, Wanda’s hair has fallen out and has not grown back despite various efforts.

Taxotere Lawsuit Allegations

In March 2010, Wanda was diagnosed with breast cancer and shortly after began her chemotherapy regime with the IV-administered drug Taxotere, a commonly prescribed treatment for breast cancer patients.

By June 2011, Wanda had undergone several rounds of chemotherapy treatment and a total mastectomy of her left and right breasts.

While her Taxotere treatment ended in 2011, it was by early 2016 Wanda began to suspect she was experiencing permanent hair loss.

Wanda came to this conclusion after seeing various public reports regarding permanent chemotherapy hair loss in conjunction with Taxotere side effects, including an FDA-released safety warning in December 2015.

In the announcement, the agency called for an update for Taxotere warning label to include possible permanent hair loss.

According to her Taxotere lawsuit, Wanda and her physician had no knowledge of permanent alopecia and the company made no effort to notify them.

Even though chemotherapy hair loss is a common symptom for many patients undergoing this treatment, it seldom becomes a permanent side effect.

Chemotherapy hair loss can be managed and alopecia minimized through scalp cooling.

This treatment does not help women who are already contending with Taxotere hair loss, as there is no way to grow their hair back, according to Wanda’s Taxotere lawsuit.

Overview of Taxotere Side Effects

Taxotere (docetaxel) is a part of the drug family Taxanes, which are commonly used as chemotherapy treatment agents.

The drug was approved by the FDA in the early 1996, and has since been approved to treat a variety of cancer variations with breast cancer being the most common.

Even though many patients reported successful treatments, a number of women have alleged that their permanent hair loss is a direct result of Taxotere side effects.

Several recent studies have been published observing the link between permanent chemotherapy hair loss and Taxotere side effects.

One study was presented at the 2014 National Cancer Conference, which showed permanent hair loss affected between 10% to 15% of Taxotere patients.

An earlier study from 2012 published in the Annals of Oncology found similar results. This study observed 20 female breast cancer patients who reportedly developed permanent hair loss.

Wanda’s Taxotere lawsuit points out that breast cancer is already devastating enough with the numerous treatment procedures to prevent the disease from progressing, without the worry of permanent hair loss.

According to her Taxotere lawsuit, the company knew of the risk for permanent hair loss, but chose to omit this information from the drug’s label. Wanda is seeking damages against Sanofi Aventis for negligence and failure to warn.

The Taxotere Lawsuit is Case No. 1:14-cv-06394 in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana.