Recent studies and an FDA announcement link chronic myeloid leukemia drugs to severe, undisclosed side effects including atherosclerosis, circulatory issues, heart attack, stroke and death.

If you or a loved one have suffered cardiovascular or circulatory issues after taking the chemotherapy medication Tasigna, produced by the company Novartis, you may have a legal claim.

Tasigna is one of the newer chronic myeloid leukemia drugs on the market, and is marketed as superior to other cancer treatments. Studies conducted internationally have linked Tasigna to the development of atherosclerosis, a clogging, narrowing, and hardening of arteries. This condition can cause peripheral arterial disease, which in turn can lead to restricted circulation, heart attack, stroke, and death.

Atherosclerosis can lead to the swelling of arteries, a condition which restricts blood flow to parts of the body, leading to cardiovascular problems, limb amputation, and death. This reduction in circulation linked to Tasigna atherosclerosis can be severe and irreversible.

Investigations to the relationship between Tasigna and atherosclerosis suggest that patients may not have been adequately warned of the possibility of this severe side-effect.

When the drug was first released to the public, it did have a “black box” warning for other severe side effects, but did not have one for atherosclerosis. A black box warning is the most extreme type of warning that a drug available to the public can have, indicating that the drug can have very dangerous side effects.

In 2011, the first study linking Tasigna to atherosclerosis was published. The study showed that 25 percent of patients who used Tasigna experienced vascular problems, and 16 percent of patients experienced peripheral arterial disease.

In 2013, nine more studies were published that linked the drug to atherosclerosis. The studies took into account data gathered internationally. To date, more than a dozen studies have been published that suggest a link Tasigna use causes arterial problems.

In 2013, the FDA conducted a study on Tasigna’s connection with arterial diseases and atherosclerosis, and said that the data “strongly suggest an association between nilotinib (Tasigna) and PAOD (peripheral arterial occlusive disease).” After the FDA published these findings, Novartis added a warning about the dangers of atherosclerosis to Tasigna’s label.

Investigations are underway to determine if the drug merited a warning label before 2013. Patient advocates are looking into whether or not Novartis should have done more to address the likelihood that using Tasigna could result in a patient developing atherosclerosis.

A number of lawsuits are being launched against the company that claim that Novartis had reasonable knowledge that the drug could cause these extreme side effects, and was negligent in not informing customers of the risk and in marketing Tasigna as superior to other chronic myeloid leukemia drugs.

Many of the lawsuits argue that Novartis failed to properly warn the public that Tasigna could have such an extreme side effect — one that could result in serious injury or death — especially given that the risk was undisclosed to consumers for multiple years.