Cancer is an ailment that has affected many people in the community for ages, and various organizations have come out to support the fight against the deadly disease by offering both technological and professional expertise. One such company is Sanofi-Aventis, which is a pharmaceutical organization that has been providing chemotherapy medication, Taxotere. When the drug was introduced into the American market, it had a massive impact, and it was recommended for use in all parts of the United States by the FDA.
There are many forms of cancer, and women form part of the population that is profoundly affected by the disease. Taxotere was primarily developed to helped women fight breast cancer, and as much as it had a significant impact in the in the chemotherapy process, research on the side effects of the drug revealed that its long term usage causes permanent hair loss. There are many women in the American society who have been exposed to the side effects of the drug since the manufacturer decided to increase its potency so as to remain competitive.
Why Taxotere is used
Taxotere has been thoroughly tested and certified by the FDA for use in treating prostate, head, breast, lung, and stomach cancer. The drug works by inhibiting the growth and eventual spread of cancer-causing cells to other parts of the body. Generically, Taxotere is known as Docetaxel, and it was approved in 1996, for use in treating the initial stages of breast cancer. Taxotere is supposed to be used in part with other chemotherapy drugs.
Side Effects
If you are a victim of Taxotere’s side effects, then don’t lose hope since you can get compensation from the drug manufacturer. At the moment, approximately 1000 women across the United States have already filed lawsuits against Sanofi-Aventis. All drug manufacturers in the market are tasked with the responsibility of warning users about the potential side effects of their medication, and once Sanofi-Aventis failed to do so, it ended up violating the law.
Similar drugs that were used in Europe and Canada had warning messages indicating that Taxotere may lead to alopecia (permanent hair loss). However, the medication that was in the United States had no warning message, and this went on until 2015. Taxol is a competitor of Taxotere, and it is similarly effective. But to avoid the high competition, Sanofi-Aventis deliberately avoided putting warning messages on the drug, and this did not give people the opportunity of deciding between using Taxol or Taxotere.
Apart from causing permanent hair loss, Taxotere can also cause short-term hair loss, which is a typical experience among all chemotherapy patients. However, in such a case, the hair grows back after six months.
Other Side Effects
Other general side effects that are commonly associated with the use of Taxotere include;
Forming a lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis
- Muscle pain
- Vomiting
- Body numbness
- Fatigue
- Allergic reactions
- Change in taste
Undergoing chemotherapy is a challenge. Adding up the problem of hair loss is far much stressful, and such a burden cannot be placed upon cancer patients. In 2016, a Multi-district Litigation was consolidated, and this brought together all lawsuits against Sanofi-Aventis all over the United States.
Combining all associated cases helps to hasten the investigation process, and it ensures that victims can receive justice promptly. When the MLD was being set up, about 799 cases had been reported across courts in the United States. However, each taxotere lawsuit is usually based on how much each patient was affected.
Amount of money that a victim can receive from the settlement
Victims of Taxotere are encouraged to apply and join in the lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis. At the moment, predicting the amount that each patient will receive from the suit can be a challenge.
However, judging from the past cases of medical lawsuits, such a drug manufacturing company is usually supposed to pay the victims in a lump sum. In this case, it is possible that the company will be required to pay up about $50,000,000, and then the amount will end up being divided among 1000 people. Therefore, each patient might end up receiving approximately $50,000.