Tasigna (also known by the generic name nilotinib), was approved by the FDA in 2007 to treat chronic myeloid leukemia. Since its release, it has become one of the most popular chemotherapy drugs in the world. In 2016, $1.7 billion of the drug was sold.

However, patients are discovering that there may be many negative side effects associated with the drug and that it could cause more harm than good. The drug may lead to cardiovascular and circulatory problems that can lead to serious injury, limb amputation, and death. Patients who have already suffered Tasigna cardiovascular side effects might have grounds for a lawsuit. 

Cardiovascular Problems and Atherosclerosis

The cardiovascular problems linked to Tasigna can be severe and possibly life-threatening.

Over a dozen studies published worldwide have shown a connection between Tasigna use and the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the clogging, narrowing, and hardening of the arteries. This can, in turn, cause peripheral arterial disease, which happens when not enough blood flow can reach the extremities of a patient’s body.

Peripheral arterial disease most commonly affects a patient’s legs. However, the condition can also develop in the arms, stomach, and head. Symptoms include cramping and tiredness in the legs and hips when a person is walking or exercising. This pain typically goes away with rest and returns with activity.

If this condition becomes severe enough, and blocks circulation, tissue death can occur, which can require limb amputation. In other cases, plaque buildup can break free from an artery wall and form a clot, which can cause pain, ulcers, or strokes.

Patients Claim Drug Company Knew of Tasigna Cardiovascular Side Effects

Patients say that they were not warned of the risk of Tasigna cardiovascular side effects and that their physicians were not warned, either. When the drug was approved in 2007, it was approved with a severe, Black Box FDA warning concerning other severe side effects of the drug.

However, patients were not warned about the cardiovascular side effects for several years after the drug’s release. In 2013, the FDA released findings related to a Tasigna study that “strongly suggest an association between nilotinib (Tasigna) and PAOD (peripheral arterial occlusive disease). At this point, the FDA required Novartis to add atherosclerosis to Tasigna’s warning label.

It is possible that the drug’s maker, Novartis, knew of the drug’s link to cardiovascular side effects and intentionally concealed this information from medical professionals and patients. Some patients claim that the company knew or should have known that the drug caused atherosclerosis and cardiovascular problems years before the FDA required Novartis to include an atherosclerosis warning on the drug’s label.

If this is found to be the case, Novartis could be liable for patient injury caused by Tasigna cardiovascular side effects.

If you took Tasigna and developed cardiovascular problems, your cardiovascular problems could have been caused by your use of the drug. Many patients think that their cardiovascular problems or atherosclerosis were caused by other factors, including genetic predisposition, when they may have been caused by Tasigna use.

Lawyers are currently investigating cancer patient claims of Tasigna cardiovascular side effects. If you took the chemotherapy drug Tasigna to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, and you suffered cardiovascular or circulatory issues, you may have a legal claim.