A Wisconsin woman filed a lawsuit joining growing litigation over alleged docetaxel side effects.

Plaintiff Mary L. filed the docetaxel side effects lawsuit in Louisiana federal court on Oct. 24, 2018.

Mary says that she took Taxotere from approximately March 2011 to May 2011. However, because of taking Taxotere she alleges she suffered severe adverse docetaxel side effects including disfiguring permanent alopecia, or permanent hair loss.

Mary’s lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, and fraud and deceit.

Overview: Docetaxel Side Effects

Women all over the country have filed lawsuits against Sanofi US Services, Inc., the maker of Taxotere, alleging severe adverse side effects from the chemotherapy medication. Thousands have joined a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) against the company over these side effects including the development of permanent and irreversible alopecia.

Taxotere was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 14, 1996. The drug helps treat a variety of cancers including head and neck cancer, metastatic prostate cancer, and advanced stage stomach cancer.

However, some patients claim that in addition to causing permanent and irreversible alopecia, Taxotere is also known to have a variety of other side effects, including mouth or throat sores, constipation, infection, bone or muscle pain, and low red blood cell count (anemia).

While women may commonly understand that hair loss is a normal adverse side effect to chemotherapy, many women say they were not given a fair warning that the medication could cause permanent hair loss.

The Taxotere MDL alleges that the drug maker knew of severe docetaxel side effects, but failed to warn doctors and patients.

A study, led by Dr. Scot Sedlacek, and conducted in 2006 by a team of researchers of the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers in Denver found that of patients treated with Taxotere, 6.3 percent of patients grew back less than 50 percent of their hair after use of the chemo drug.

According to the study, “when docetaxel is administered… there is a small but significant possibility of poor hair regrowth lasting up to 7 years. Such as emotionally devastating long term toxicity from this combination must be taken into account when deciding on adjuvant chemotherapy programs in women who likely will be cured of their breast cancer.”

Researchers are currently working on determining why there are increased permanent hair loss side effects with the administration of Taxotere. Scientists hypothesize that the drug’s potency level could be a reason why there are these side effects. A higher potency level is correlated to higher toxicity.

The Docetaxel Side Effects Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-09926-JTM-MBN, in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana. The Taxotere MDL is in re: Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2740, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana