Are you suffering from permanent alopecia after being treated with the chemotherapy drug Taxotere or generic docetaxel? If so, you may be entitled to compensation from the company that manufactured the drug used in your treatment.
At Scott Vicknair, LLC, our skilled New Orleans trial attorneys aggressively represent clients harmed by unsafe medications. We’re a trusted name in dangerous drug litigation, having helped numerous clients obtain the justice and financial compensation they deserve.
Our legal team is reviewing cases for people experiencing permanent hair loss linked to Taxotere. If a docetaxel drug was part of your chemotherapy regimen, your case may qualify. Here’s what you need to know.
About Taxotere (Docetaxel)
Docetaxel is a taxane chemotherapy drug used to treat a wide range of cancers, including breast, head and neck, prostate, stomach, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved Taxotere, the most well-known and most commonly prescribed brand of docetaxel, in 1996.
The drug quickly soared in popularity due, in part, to a less frequent treatment schedule compared to the similar chemotherapy medication Taxol (or generic paclitaxel). Whereas Taxol requires weekly injections or infusions, Taxotere patients receive one treatment every three weeks. Sales of the drug reached their highest point in 2010, bringing in more than $3.1 billion for manufacturer Sanofi-Aventi.
Taxotere is the most commonly prescribed taxane for breast cancer, with medical experts estimating that up to 75 percent of breast cancer patients receive the drug at some point in their treatment.
Taxotere Permanent Hair Loss Risks
Hair loss is an expected, although distressing, part of many chemotherapy treatments. However, in most cases, once patients are done with chemo, their hair slowly, but surely, returns. Sadly, that has not been the case for some Taxotere and docetaxel patients, many of whom continue to struggle with alopecia for months or even years after treatment.
Severely thinning hair and permanent baldness are particularly devastating for women, who make up the majority of those diagnosed with breast cancer. Known as chemotherapy-induced permanent alopecia (CIPAL), the condition not only affects hair on the head but can also result in the loss of eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic, and other types of body hair. Studies show this can significantly reduce patients’ quality of life, negatively affecting body image and mental health, and serving as a constant and jarring reminder of the deadly illness they fought so hard to beat.
Taxotere Permanent Alopecia Lawsuits
Drug manufacturers are legally bound to ensure the safety of their products and warn doctors and patients of possible side effects or risk liability for damages. In more than 12,000 lawsuits, plaintiffs claim that despite multiple studies showing links between Taxotere (docetaxel) and CIPAL (including one funded by Sanofi), manufacturers failed to disclose these risks to patients or medical professionals, downplaying all reports of hair loss as temporary. However, that changed in 2015, when Sanofi updated the Taxotere insert to include permanent alopecia as a potential side effect.
Additionally, many plaintiffs treated with Taxotere before the insert update claim that if they’d been warned that docetaxel carried a risk of permanent hair loss, they would have opted for Taxol, which has similar efficacy but isn’t associated with incurable alopecia.
If you received Taxotere or docetaxel chemotherapy infusions or injections prior to 2015 and are still wrestling with hair loss, we may be able to help you collect compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement
- And other losses
Contact Us Today
If your Taxotere or docetaxel treatment resulted in permanent alopecia, our tenacious Louisiana trial lawyers can help you hold the at-fault party (or parties) responsible, regardless of whether you live in the Pelican State or elsewhere in the U.S. Contact us today and we’ll reach out to discuss your case as soon as possible.