A woman has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of a chemotherapy drug when after suffering from permanent hair loss as a result of the cancer treatment.

Plaintiff Lorna R. filed this Taxotere cancer drug lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis and their related companies over the allegedly wrongful conduct exhibited by the drug company.

In 2004, Lorna found a mass in her breast and underwent diagnostic imaging, and a sentinel node biopsy was performed on the lesion found during the imaging.

A later surgical pathology report for the procedure showed that Lorna had infiltrating ductal carcinoma in her right breast. Lorna was diagnosed with Stage IIA breast cancer and consulted her oncologist for treatment options.

According to the Taxotere cancer drug lawsuit, “The oncologist was not aware, nor had been informed, of any warnings from Defendant’s that disfiguring permanent alopecia can occur following treatment with docetacel (Taxotere).”

Following her consultation with the oncologist, Lorna underwent four chemotherapy cycles in 2005 using Taxotere as her chemotherapy treatment.

Lorna did not know or suspect that she was suffering from permanent hair loss, also known as alopecia, as a result of taking Taxotere until 2016.

“As a result of Defendants’ wrongful conduct, Plaintiff has continued to suffer and will suffer in the future from disfiguring permanent alopecia as a result of receiving chemotherapy with docetaxel (Taxotere),” Lorna’s Taxotere cancer drug lawsuit states.

Patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment realize that hair loss is part of the expected patient response to the medication. Chemotherapy targets the fastest growing cells in the body, and that includes hair follicles.

Typically, within months of stopping chemotherapy treatment, patients will see a return of hair growth. However, some Taxotere users will have permanent hair loss.

Even though the manufacturers of Taxotere disclosed the risks of permanent alopecia following Taxotere use to patients and regulatory agencies in Europe and Canada, patients and physicians in the U.S. were not warned of these risks, the Taxotere drug lawsuit argues.

The Taxotere cancer drug lawsuit states that the drug manufacturers failed to adequately warn patients and physicians of the risks associated with its use through various means, such as its research studies, warning labels and any advertising materials.

The lawsuit also stated that the FDA issued a warning letter to Sanofi-Aventis in 2009 after the company continued to make false and misleading statements for promoting the “superior efficacy” of docetaxel (Taxotere) over the competing product paclitaxel (Taxol), with the FDA saying Sanofi-Aventis made unsubstantiated claims of superiority over its competitor.

Lorna has brought forth a number of claims for relief against the manufacturers of Taxotere including product liability for negligence, design and manufacturing defects, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, strict products liability for misrepresentation, fraud and deceit, violation of the Colorado Deceptive Trade Practices act and extreme and outrageous conduct/intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Lorna is seeking “special damages, treble damages, punitive damages, costs, expert witness fees, attorneys’ fees, filing fees, pre-and post-judgment interest” and any additional damages as provided by the Court.

The Taxotere Cancer Drug Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-cv-08406, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.