Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
Taxotere Hair Loss lawsuits in settlement discussion. According to sources, the Taxotere hair loss lawsuits may be in preliminary stages of settlement talks.
The judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation in the Taxotere chemotherapy drug products liability litigation has ordered plaintiff attorneys to file information about all pending and anticipated claims “so that “claimants may have the opportunity to participate in any eventual resolution process.”
U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt issued Pretrial Order No. 60A to the Plaintiff’s Settlement Committee on September 15, with uploading of the census data by October 31. Generally speaking, the compilation of data about the injured plaintiffs is usually the first step in a global mass tort settlement.
What is Taxotere?
Taxotere (docetaxel) is a breast cancer drug made by Sanofi-Aventis, which was approved by the FDA in 1996 for treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
According to lawsuits, side effect data has been available to Sanofi-Aventis for years linking Taxotere and permanent baldness. Sanofi-Aventis warnings included with the cancer drug disclosed that “hair generally grows back” but hid the information about women who have experienced permanent hair loss.
Adding insult to injury, many similar cancer treatments are available just as effective at Taxotere, but do not increase the risk of long-term or permanent alopecia for breast cancer victims.
Taxotere Permanent Hair Loss Complications
Many cancer drugs cause hair loss, but plaintiffs claim that Sanofi-Aventis knew or should have known that use of their Taxotere treatment had a high risk of permanent baldness.
In 2005, the GEICAM 9805 study indicated that 9.2% of patients who took Taxotere developed long-term hair loss for many years. Sanofi-Aventis sponsored the GEICAM 9805 study and so the company knew or should have been known of the serious side effects.
Cancer victims blame Taxotere for permanent baldness, shame and other serious psychological damages.
Federal Multidistrict Litigation
In October 2016, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) ordered all Taxotere lawsuits filed in federal courts nationwide consolidated and coordinated before U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt in the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans for pretrial proceedings. Taxotere is consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2740).
As of the latest court data from October 16, there are 1,663 Taxotere injury lawsuits pending in MDL 2740, IN RE: Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation, in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Dr. Shezad Malik law firm based in Dallas, Texas continues to investigate Taxotere permanent hair loss or baldness personal injury claims from across the country. If you or a loved have been injured by Taxotere permanent hair loss, please contact our office at 214-390-3189 immediately for your free consultation.