A new lawsuit has been filed regarding the chemotherapy drug Taxotere, alleging that permanent loss of hair after chemo is possible in patients treated with the drug.

Plaintiff Michelle P. recently filed a lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis, Sandoz, and others, alleging that she suffered from permanent loss of hair after chemo treatment with Taxotere.

Michelle says she was treated with Taxotere from April 2015 to July 2015 and later suffered from permanent loss of hair after chemo treatment, prompting her to file a lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturers as part of a multidistrict litigation.

Taxotere (docetaxel) is a chemotherapy agent commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer. Its use as a chemotherapy agent was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996.

Taxotere is part of a drug family known as taxanes, cancer treating drugs derived from yew plants. Taxanes differ from typical chemotherapy agents because they inhibit cancer cells by over-stabilizing the cancerous cells, preventing further cell reproduction.

Taxotere, like many other chemotherapy agents, can cause loss of hair during treatment. This occurs because chemotherapy agents target cells that reproduce quickly, like cancer cells. However, hair follicles are one of the fastest reproducing healthy cells in the body and can be targeted during treatment.

Michelle claims that loss of hair after chemo treatment with Taxotere can be permanent instead of temporary. For much of the drug’s time on the market, from 1996 until 2015, Taxotere labeling contained no mention of permanent loss of hair after chemo treatment. The Taxotere lawsuit argues that manufacturers had a duty to inform the consumer of the risks associated with their drug and the potential long-term, life-changing side effects.

“The longer a drug sponsor delays updating its labeling so that it reflects current safety information, the more likely it is that medical professionals will continue to prescribe drugs without advising patients of harmful side effects, and the more likely it is that patients will suffer harmful side effects without the opportunity to evaluate risks for themselves,” the lawsuit states.

Michelle argues that permanent loss of hair after chemo is severely damaging to her and other individuals in a similar situation. Loss of hair is a universal sign of cancer and carries a stigma, Michelle claims. Due to permanent loss of hair after chemo, Michelle and other cannot escape their cancer experience even if they have recovered.

“Plaintiffs are stigmatized with the universal cancer signifier—baldness—long after they underwent cancer treatment, and their hair loss acts as a permanent reminder that they are cancer victims,” the Taxotere lawsuit states. “This permanent change has altered Plaintiffs’ self-image, negatively impacted their relationships, and others’ perceptions of them, leading to social isolation and depression even long after fighting cancer.”

Michelle accuses the defendants of strict products liability – failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, fraud and deceit, and violation of New York consumer protection laws.

The Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-06716-JTM-MBN and is part of the Taxotere MDL, In re: Taxotere (docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 2:16-md-02740-KDE-MBN, in the United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana.