Tasigna, a drug prescribed to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, has been purportedly linked to potentially dangerous Tasigna side effects, including the development of a life-threatening artery disease known as atherosclerosis.

Several lawsuits have been filed against the drug’s manufacture, Novartis, for failing to warn of these alleged adverse Tasigna side effects including the patient risk for atherosclerosis development.

Tasigna Side Effects

Tasigna (nilotinib), approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2007 and prescribed to treat leukemia, works by inhibiting proteins that aide in the growth of cancer cells. Tasigna was also approved to treat CML, or chronic myelogenous leukemia, a slow developing and uncommon type of blood cancer that starts in the body’s bone marrow.

What seems to be the issue with Tasigna is that while the drug was approved by the FDA along with an added black box warning label, patients may not have been adequately warned about the drug’s potential risks for developing atherosclerosis and other serious complications.

Atherosclerosis is a condition where the blood’s arterial walls thicken due to the buildup of plaque. As the arteries of the body become more narrow due to plaque buildup, blood flow becomes more restricted, thereby causing the development of serious risks such as peripheral arterial disease, or PAD.

One more serious complication of atherosclerosis may occur when a piece of the fatty plaque buildup breaks off from the arterial wall. It can then become carried through the bloodstream until it gets stuck causing a heart attack or even stroke.

Atherosclerosis may occur at any part of the body, and different complications result based upon where the condition is located. Common locations for atherosclerosis include the brain, heart, kidneys, pelvis, legs or arms.

Symptoms of atherosclerosis include pain, which often develops in the legs due to the condition’s tendency to come about through activity, such as walking or climbing stairs, and its diminishment with rest. Other symptoms also include tiredness and cramping in the hips or legs during movement.

Tasigna side effects and other complications resulting from atherosclerosis include stroke, chest pain, limb amputation, gangrene, or tissue death, chronic kidney disease, peripheral artery disease, coronary heart disease, carotid artery disease, stroke and heart attack.

Tasigna Litigation

No recall has yet to be announced by the drug’s manufacturer, Novartis, regardless of the increased research and studies linking Tasigna to atherosclerosis and other Tasigna side effects. Sales for Norvartis have reached $1.8 billion per year. Without FDA intervention, Novartis is unlikely to announce a recall any time soon.

However, lawsuits have been filed against the company alleging unknown risks and development of serious complications. Although these lawsuits have been filed, no class action lawsuit has yet to come about. However, if an increasing number of lawsuits do begin to form, a multidistrict litigation (MDL) can help maximize efficiency in filing suits.