[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t appears that taxotere permanent hair loss is a serious problem that affects more patients than it was originally believed. It is already well-known that the Taxotere drug causes the loss of eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic hair, underarm and hair on the head. What it was not that clear for patients is the fact that this hair loss is permanent.
This happens despite the fact that Taxotere was supposed to cause a temporary hair loss: “Once you have completed all your treatments, hair generally grows back. Nevertheless, many patients had reported that their hair does not grow back, and on December 11, 2015, the FDA acknowledged this as well.
What is Taxotere?
Taxotere is one of the most efficient drugs when it comes to treating cancer. It is one of the most prescribed drugs, especially when it comes to breast cancer cases, which means that its side effects affect many women. The drug is also used for prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
The reason why this drug is usually prescribed is because it is more efficient and the treatments takes about an hour and it takes place every three weeks, which means that it requires less rounds of chemotherapy and it takes less time than other drugs.
Causing alopecia
The fact that it leads to permanent hair loss is more serious than we believe, especially for women. A 2004 stated that hair “is personal, growing directly out of our bodies. It is public, on view for all to see. And it is malleable, allowing us to change it more or less at whim. As a result, it’s not surprising that we use our hair to project our identity and that others see our hair as a reflection of our identity.”
Therefore, when women lose their hair they lose an important part of themselves. The worst part is that they are not informed about this side effect, or, if they are, it is often downplayed.
As a consequence of that, patients have filed a lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis, the Taxotere manufacturer. The accuse the company of deceiving the patients by exaggerating the benefits of the products while simultaneously hiding the risks. They also claim that they were not informed about the permanent alopecia side effect, since they would have chosen a better alternative if they were aware about this risk.
These claims are even more serious considering the fact that the company received a warning letter from the FDA back in 2009. They were informed that their statements are false and misleading. This argument is also used by Ami Dodson in her lawsuit. She also claims that Sanofi “obtained billions of dollars in increased revenues at the expense of unwary cancer victims simply hoping to survive their condition and return to a normal life.”
For these cases there have been no Taxotere settlements yet. Nevertheless, there is already a settlement committee that was formed in December 2016 and it should help them make a decision.
