Yet another cancer patient has come forward claiming that she has suffered from permanent alopecia after chemotherapy, and alleges this was caused by the drug used during her cancer treatment.

The plaintiff, Karen G. of Indiana, says she began chemotherapy treatment in 2011. As is the case for many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, Karen says she suffered from hair loss, or alopecia, during treatment.

Indeed, while most cancer patients are aware that they may lose their hair during chemotherapy, they generally expect that their hair will grow back after treatment is over. However, Karen says that months after her chemotherapy treatment was over, her hair had still not grown back properly.

Now, years later, Karen says she continues to suffer from permanent alopecia after chemotherapy. She has now turned to litigation, alleging damages like medical expenses, loss of earnings, disfigurement, emotional distress, and more.

Karen filed her Taxotere lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis on May 30, 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including failure to warn, negligence, and fraud and deceit, among others.

Background of Taxotere

Taxotere, also known by its generic name, docetaxel, is a chemotherapy drug manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi. One of the most commonly used breast cancer drugs, Taxotere is also used to treat lung cancer. It was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 1996, and has grown steadily more popular over the years.

Cancer cells are known for the ability to grow rapidly. In order to fight cancer, Taxotere prevents cancer cells from growing, which prevents that rapid spread. However, it may be that the same function of Taxotere that works to prevent the growth of cancer cells may also prevent the growth of a patient’s hair after chemotherapy treatment is over.

Hair loss is a well-known side effect of cancer treatment, and patients go into chemotherapy knowing about this complication. However, they generally expect that their hair will grow back after chemotherapy treatment is over.

Unfortunately, many patients treated with Taxotere are discovering that they have difficulty growing their hair back after they finish with treatment, some even reporting permanent alopecia after chemotherapy.

According to this lawsuit and others like it, Sanofi either knew or should have known that their chemotherapy drug was linked with permanent alopecia after chemotherapy treatment was over.

Patients allege that the company not only failed to adequately warn about this risk, but even actively concealed information, instead promoting the drug as both safe and effective. Taxotere lawsuits claim that Sanofi has been aware of reports and studies linking Taxotere to permanent alopecia after chemotherapy since as far back as its approval—in 1996.

Filing a Taxotere Lawsuit Over Permanent Alopecia After Chemotherapy

If you or someone you love has suffered from permanent alopecia after chemotherapy with Taxotere, you may be able to gain some kind of financial compensation by joining Taxotere permanent hair loss litigation.

Filing a Taxotere lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering a cancer patient endures, or take away the effects of permanent alopecia after chemotherapy, but it can help compensate for the financial expenses incurred by cancer treatment bills or even lost wages.

The Permanent Alopecia After Chemotherapy Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-05468-JTM-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.