An Alabama cancer patient has filed a lawsuit against Sanofi Aventis, alleging permanent hair loss from Taxotere, even after her chemotherapy treatment was over.

According to the Sanofi lawsuit, the plaintiff, Rena N., did not regrow her hair after her cancer treatment was over, and continues to suffer from permanent hair loss from Taxotere.

Rena N. was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, and began undergoing chemotherapy treatment in October 2014.

As part of her chemotherapy cancer treatment, Rena was treated with multiple rounds of Taxotere through January 2015.

Though breast cancer patients are generally made aware of possible hair loss side effects of various cancer treatment drugs, they do not generally expect permanent hair loss from Taxotere or any other chemotherapy drugs.

Indeed, the lawsuit alleges, “neither [Rena] nor her treating healthcare providers were aware of or informed by [Sanofi] that disfiguring permanent alopecia can occur following treatment with Taxotere.” Alopecia is another word for permanent hair loss from Taxotere or other means.

The lawsuit was brought over permanent hair loss from Taxotere, including negligence, design and manufacturing defects, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranty, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud and deceit, among several others.

Taxotere Basics

The common chemotherapy drug Taxotere was manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis and approved as a breast cancer treatment drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in May 1996.

Sanofi-Aventis has claimed Taxotere is a safe, effective, and superior drug treatment. Because of these claims, lawsuits allege, thousands of patients have been exposed to Taxotere’s side effects.

Permanent Hair Loss from Taxotere

Hair loss is a common side effect of Taxotere and other chemotherapy drugs, but many patients are not aware of and therefore not prepared for the possibility of permanent hair loss from Taxotere, also known as alopecia.

Taxotere fights breast cancer by preventing cancer cells from growing, which in turn prevents the cancer from its ability to quickly spread.

However, the same function that prevents the rapid growth of cancer cells may also prevent a patient’s hair from growing back after chemotherapy. One of the most well-known side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss, but what many patients don’t know is that hair loss from Taxotere can be permanent.

Lawsuits claim that Sanofi-Aventis has been aware of reports and studies linking Taxotere to permanent hair loss after chemotherapy since as far back as its approval in 1996.

However, Taxotere lawsuits allege that, despite knowledge of their drug’s connection with permanent chemotherapy hair loss, Sanofi chose to actively conceal this information from patients and the medical community.

Taxotere Lawsuits

If you or someone you love has experienced permanent hair loss from Taxotere, you may be able to gain some kind of compensation through a breast cancer drug lawsuit.

Filing a Taxotere safety lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering a cancer patient endures, but it can help compensate for the financial expenses incurred by medical bills or even lost wages.

The Taxotere Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-00147-KDE-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.