Taxotere

Baseluos Law Firm is currently investigating cases nationwide for women who have experienced permanent hair loss after using taxotere. The drug taxotere, also known as docetaxel, is a drug used in breast cancer chemotherapy. The manufacturers, Sanofi-Aventis, falsely touted taxotere as being more effective than other breast cancer chemotherapy drugs.

Having lost his mother to breast cancer about twenty years ago at the tender young age of 51, Michael Baseluos has seen firsthand the courageous process women go through during their battle with breast cancer. Chemotherapy is a grueling process. While hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy, permanent hair loss (baldness) on a woman is most definitely not an acceptable side effect. It is absolutely deplorable and outrageous when defendant pharmaceutical manufacturers take advantage of vulnerable women by knowingly touting a drug that will permanently disfigure a breast cancer survivor.

Sanofi-Aventis is believed to have been aware of the side effect of permanent alopecia from using taxotere. Other drugs that did not carry the side effect of permanent hair loss were actually more effective chemotherapy drugs than docetaxel.

In December 2015, the FDA demanded Sanofi change their label to indicate taxotere could cause permanent alopecia. What is even more appalling is that Sanofi Aventis had directly warned consumers in Europe and Canada about permanent hair loss while marketing the drug abroad prior to introducing the drug in the United States.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed throughout the country and federal multi-district litigation is now pending in the US District Court in New Orleans. The lawsuits claim defendants Sanofi Aventis was aware of the taxotere side effects after failing to disclose results of studies, and participated in a sophisticated fraud, essentially bribing doctors to prescribe taxotere. A 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that the chemotherapy drug Taxol (known as paclitaxel), the drug of rival drugmakers, was a more effective chemotherapy drug than taxotere (docetaxel). However, Sanofi continued to tout taxotere as being superior over its competitors despite these compelling medical studies. In 2009, the FDA delivered a stern warning letter to Sanofi to cease and desist claims of superior efficacy of Taxotere over Taxol.

Sanofi has profited handsomely from its deception. Sales of taxotere almost quadrupled to $1.4 billion in 2004. Lawsuits will explore the design, testing, production, promotion, and labeling for taxotere.

In July 2016, the FDA identified additional medical problems associated with docetaxel including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), neurologic and eye disorders, and asthenia (lack of strength).

Taxotere belongs to a family of drugs known as taxanes. The lawsuits filed to date follow a familiar pattern. A breast cancer victim undergoes a biopsy and discusses options on chemotherapy with her oncologist. Neither the breast cancer victim nor the oncologist are aware that chemotherapy containing taxotere will cause her to lose all her hair permanently. She suffers extreme mental anguish and economic damages, stemming from the inability to earn monies due to unspeakable psychological damage. The tactics of Sanofi Aventis essentially stripped breast cancer survivors of the ability to make informed choices regarding their chemotherapy treatment.

Michael Baseluos is a taxotere lawyer currently offering free legal consultations to individuals throughout the United States who have suffered permanent alopecia of taxotere. If you or a family member have experienced permanent hair loss following breast cancer treatment, please contact Baseluos Law Firm immediately at 210-787-5993 or fill out the short questionnaire on this page and Michael Baseluos will contact you promptly.