A French multinational pharmaceutical company, Sanofi S.A. is facing alleged claims that the company sold Taxotere, a prescription medication, but failed to warn the public and consumers who have taken the drug that there is an increased risk in developing permanent chemo hair loss.

Allegations are being made that the manufacturer knew of the permanent chemo hair lossside effect but failed to disclose that risk.

According to the claims being made, the failure of warning about the permanent chemo hair loss effect, which has left women feeling emotionally scarred and physically disfigured, deprives women of “their right to choose other breast treatments that were just as effective but allowed hair growth after chemo to return.”

The chemo hair loss medication, Taxotere, is also known as docetaxel. It was introduced into the market in the mid-1990s. It is now used to treat different kinds of cancers, particularly breast cancer.

According to the allegations, Taxotere had represented and stated on its warning label that the hair loss lost during chemotherapy “generally grows back” once full treatment is completed.

However, after Taxotere’s introduction in the mid-1990s, it wasn’t until December 2015 that the FDA issued a label change requiring mention of the permanent chemo hair loss that can occur as a result of taking the medication.

Plaintiffs in Taxotere lawsuits claim that Sanofi-Aventis knew of the adverse risks for permanent chemo hair loss for years. They also point out that warnings about permanent chemo hair loss appeared on European labels for Taxotere long before they appeared on labels in the U.S.

Years of evidence supporting the association between breast cancer patients and Taxotere have been sufficiently studied, lawsuits against the company claim.

According to a study conducted in 2006 by an oncologist at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, located in Denver, Colorado, the researcher concluded that more than six percent of breast cancer patients grew back less than 50 percent of their hair after being treated with Taxotere.

The oncologist commented that “the one side effect possibly most dreaded by the patient is alopecia. Yet, we have always told our female patients don’t worry, [hair] will always come back. This last statement may not be true.”

A second study published in the American Journal of Dermatopathology in 2011 reported that “there is increased evidence that certain chemotherapy regimens can cause dose-dependent permanent alopecia.” Docetaxel was included.

A third study, published by the European Society for Medical Oncology in 2012 found that “permanent and severe alopecia is a newly reported complication of the FEC 100-docetaxel breast cancer regimen.”

Despite the current research showing a link between taking Taxotere and permanent chemo hair loss, plaitniffs claim the defendants have not reported that taking the medication could lead to permanent chemo hair loss.

According to the chemo hair loss lawsuits that have been filed, drug makers like Sanofi are under a duty to report about the adverse side effects and risks involved in taking their medications.