Lawsuit Informer

Taxotere Lawsuits Move Ahead As Advocates Await Second Test Trial

Last Updated on December 14, 2022 by Lawsuit Informer
UK – Howardian Hills – Head gardener trims the topiary hedges at Newburgh Priory in Coxwold Head gardener Andrew Meadowcroft trims the topiary hedges at Newburgh Priory in Coxwold, North Yorkshire, UK. The English Yew clippings are collected and used to make chemotherapy drugs Paclitaxel (Taxol) and Docetaxel (Taxotere) for treating various types of cancer. Coxwold village is in the Howardian Hills AONB, a landscape with well-wooded rolling countryside, patchwork of arable and pasture fields, scenic villages and historic country houses with classic parkland landscapes. (Photo by In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)

Thousands of pending lawsuits against the manufacturers of cancer drug Taxotere are poised to move forward as courts prepare to hear a second test trial.

Courts are preparing to hear the second bellwether trial for a series of lawsuits against pharmaceutical firm Sanofi-Aventis, indicating that thousands of cases against the firm may soon move towards settlements and trials.

Drug companies behind Taxotere and similar cancer drugs are facing more than 10,000 lawsuits over their failure to disclose the risk of permanent baldness associated with their products. The lawsuits are now part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Sanofi-Aventis and other manufacturers of similar cancer treatments.

As the suits go ahead, the drug companies may be liable to pay cancer patients, survivors and their families millions of dollars in compensation.

Taxotere, also known as docetaxel, is a cancer drug used to treat breast cancer, stomach cancer, prostate cancer and some lung cancers.

Use the form below or call (800) 956-9876 to discuss your situation and legal option related to Taxotere use lawsuits.

permanent hair loss linked to taxotere use

The condition triggered by Taxotere, known as permanent alopecia, has been shown to significantly impact patients’ quality of life. Though many chemotherapy treatments cause hair loss, permanent hair loss—like that caused by Taxotere—is rare.

The suits against Sanofi-Aventis claim the company was aware that its product could potentially cause permanent hair loss but failed to inform consumers.

Patient advocates say the risks are backed up by independent research. One study in the UK found that as many as 15% of women who were treated using docetaxel developed permanent baldness.

Another study at Montpellier University then showed the impacts of the alopecia on Taxotere patients. The findings showed that docetaxel led to significantly decreased quality of life for patients. It also suggested that patients treated with Taxotere experienced far worse impacts on their quality of life than patients treated with other, similar chemotherapy drugs.

different chemotherapy drugs available in the market including Docetaxel (1)
Photo by Scott Edmunds under the Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license

On the market since 2011, Taxotere is also sold under the generic name Docetaxel. Docetaxel drugs are also sold by Acavis, Dr. Reddy’s, Mylan Labs, Shilpa Medicare, Pfizer, Sandoz, Teikoku, Teva and other firms.

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