Sanofi Aventis is facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL), with numerous patients opting to file their own Taxotere lawsuit to join other claims alleging similar problems.

The latest addition is from a Maine woman who filed a Taxotere lawsuit after allegedly experiencing problems with permanent baldness post-treatment and concurrent financial damages.

Plaintiff Victoria T. is filing this Taxotere lawsuit against Sanofi Aventis, after discovering the company either knew or should have known about the drug’s link to permanent baldness, or alopecia.

Victoria had been prescribed Taxotere for typical treatment purposes, after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Taxotere chemotherapy treatment had been recommended by her oncologist, after reviewing marketing statements provided by Sanofi Aventis. According to the Taxotere side effects label, a patient can generally expect their hair to grow back after chemotherapy treatment is completed.

With no warnings or indications of alopecia risk or other permanent implications, Victoria’s oncologist prescribed Taxotere. According to the Taxotere lawsuit, Victoria had begun chemotherapy treatment on Aug. 1, 2012, and completed her last course of Taxotere by Nov. 12, 2012.

During the course of this treatment, Victoria says she developed hair loss and has since been unable to regrow her hair.

Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatment, due to how the chemotherapy drug impacts the patient’s body. When chemotherapy is initiated, the drugs begin targeting rapidly growing cells in the body and then destroying them. This makes hair follicles primary targets for chemotherapy treatment, which often results in partial or complete hair loss.

Patients can typically expect their hair to grow back at some point after their treatment. This was also indicated on the Taxotere warning label, which gave no reason for patients to be wary of potentially permanent alopecia. But numerous patients across the country have developed alopecia after Taxotere, leading to the formation of the consolidated litigation against Sanofi Aventis.

Overview of Taxotere Chemotherapy Problems

There have been several studies published indicating Taxotere was associated with permanent hair loss, one of which was published in the 2011 issue of the American Journal of Dermatopathology. Researchers found an “increased evidence that certain chemotherapy regimens can cause dose-dependant permanent alopecia” – including Taxotere for breast cancer treatment.

In addition to the studies, numerous injury reports have been filed alleging permanent Taxotere hair loss.

Taxotere has been on the market since the 1990s, and has always been a premier choice for breast cancer treatment. However, the FDA warned against potentially permanent hair loss in conjunction with Taxotere chemotherapy patients in December 2015, after receiving numerous adverse event reports. The FDA also issued a label change for Taxotere.

The American public soon found out that European patients were warned against permanent hair loss years prior. This spurred many of these patients to file legal action against Sanofi Aventis, resulting in the consolidated litigation.

By joining an MDL, Victoria’s Taxotere lawsuit will be streamlined through the litigation process and avoid potential problems like conflicting rulings from different judges.

Victoria’s Taxotere Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-00938, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana.