A Tennessee woman recently filed a lawsuit against Sanofi, alleging the company’s chemotherapy drug led to permanent hair loss from Taxotere.

The plaintiff, Robin B., was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2011. Robin began undergoing chemotherapy treatment to combat the cancer.

Taxotere was included in six cycles of her chemotherapy treatment. Neither Robin nor her medical oncologist had been aware or informed that Taxotere was capable of causing permanent alopecia, or permanent hair loss from Taxotere.

However, years after undergoing this cancer treatment, the plaintiff was still left with hair loss from Taxotere.

Indeed, the plaintiff’s hair had not grown back in by June 2016, when she became aware that her hair loss from Taxotere may be permanent and irreversible.

This lawsuit over hair loss from Taxotere was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, defective design, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, and others.

Taxotere Background

Taxotere is manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis and is approved as a breast cancer treatment drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in May 1996.

Because of Sanofi-Aventis’ claims of superior efficacy and safety regarding Taxotere, thousands of patients have been exposed to side effects at a heightened severity and increased rate than had they chosen to take another drug, the lawsuit claims.

A common serious side effect is permanent hair loss from Taxotere, also known as permanent alopecia.

Permanent Hair Loss from Taxotere

Taxotere fights breast cancer by preventing cancer cells from growing, which in turn prevents the cancer from its ability to quickly spread.

However, the same function that prevents the rapid growth of cancer cells may also prevent a patient’s hair from growing back after chemotherapy.

One of the most well-known side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss, but what many patients don’t know is that hair loss from Taxotere can be permanent.

Lawsuits claim that Sanofi-Aventis has been aware of reports and studies linking Taxotere to permanent hair loss after chemotherapy since as far back as its approval in 1996.

However, Taxotere lawsuits allege that, despite knowledge of their drug’s connection with permanent chemotherapy hair loss, Sanofi chose to conceal this information from patients and the wider medical community.

Some women who were treated with Taxotere during chemotherapy have reported that they were told their hair would grow back after chemotherapy was finished, yet ended up either having major difficulties growing their hair back, taking an especially long time to grow, or even suffering from permanent chemotherapy hair loss.

Taxotere Lawsuits

If you or someone you love has experienced permanent chemotherapy hair loss from Taxotere, you may be able to gain some kind of compensation through a breast cancer drug lawsuit.

Filing a Taxotere lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering a cancer patient endures, but it can help compensate for the financial expenses incurred by medical bills or even lost wages.

The Hair Loss from Taxotere Lawsuit is Case No.2:16-cv-00352, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Northern Division.