Sanofi Aventis is facing growing legal troubles from numerous Taxotere patients alleging permanent chemotherapy hair loss.

One of the most recent Taxotere lawsuits comes from an Arizona woman who claims she developed permanent chemotherapy hair loss as a result of the company’s drug.

Plaintiff Linda G. says she experienced chemotherapy hair loss during her treatment process, as many cancer patients do. However, it is less common for hair loss after chemotherapy to be persistent or even permanent.

Linda says she and her oncologist were unaware that permanent chemotherapy hair loss was a possibility, so no precautions were taken. According to her Taxotere lawsuit, Linda was prescribed Taxotere for typical treatment purposes and had only used the medication under the supervision of her oncologist.

At some point during her treatment, she says, she experienced chemotherapy hair loss and has not been able to recover. Even though Linda followed all the instructions of her physician during her treatment, she still developed alopecia. Linda opted to file legal action against Sanofi Aventis, alleging the company deliberately downplayed the risk of permanent alopecia.

According to the Taxotere warning label, “hair generally grows back” after Taxotere chemotherapy. The label does not mention the possibility of permanent chemotherapy hair loss. In addition, Sanofi Aventis reportedly updated the Taxotere warning label to include this possibility in Europe but had never provided the same disclosure in the United States.

Overview of Taxotere Chemotherapy Hair Loss

Taxotere is a popular chemotherapy drug that has been on the market since the mid 1990s, when the FDA granted approval for Taxotere to treat cancer. Since its approval, Taxotere has been approved to treat other types of cancer but still remains a frequent choice for breast cancer patients.

Taxotere works similar to other chemotherapy drugs in its treatment mechanism, which often results in chemotherapy hair loss. Chemotherapy treatment works by targeting rapidly reproducing cells, making hair follicles primary targets.

Even though hair normally grows back after chemotherapy treatment, Taxotere patients have been alleging they have been developing permanent hair loss and have been unable to replenish their hair.

Numerous injury reports and several recent studies eventually spurred the FDA to issue a label change for Taxotere in December 2015 to include potentially permanent chemotherapy hair loss.

One of the studies contributing to the growing concern include a 2006 inquiry conducted by Dr. Scot Sedlacek. He found that 6.3% of Taxotere patients grew back less than 50% of their hair after chemotherapy treatment.

Even with other research studies showing similar results, Sanofi Aventis still allegedly failed to disclose the risk of permanent Taxotere hair loss to the public. At all times relevant, Linda and her oncologist relied on the marketing claims of Sanofi Aventis and were not warned about potential alopecia.

Linda is filing her Taxotere hair loss lawsuit in MDL No. 2740 where it will stand alongside other claims alleging similar injuries.

This Taxotere Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-11277-KDE-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.