Drug prescribed to extend survival in breast cancer patients.
History: Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC’s chemotherapy drug Taxotere was approved by the FDA in 1996. In 2014 the FDA released a warning stating that Taxotere contained ethanol, a form of alcohol, that can cause patients to feel intoxicated during and after treatment. In 2015 the FDA ordered a warning label be updated on the Taxotere label to include alopecia, or permanent hair loss.
There are currently over 8,000 lawsuits pending in multi-district litigation. There have been no settlements to date. The claims state that Sanofi sold Taxotere without proper testing, Sanofi knew or should have know that permanent hair loss would result after use of Taxotere, Sanofi mislead the public with advertising and marketing, Sanofi downplayed the dangers linked to the drug Taxotere. There are accusations that Sanofi mislead the public by falsely reassuring them that hair would grow back after using Taxotere for chemotherapy when studies showed 6% of breast cancer patients who used Taxotere experienced permanent hair loss.
Related Drugs: Abraxane, Taxol
Mild symptoms: Bone pain, Constipation, Diarrhea, Joint pain, Mouth sores, Muscle pain, Nail changes such as discoloration or nail falls off, Tiredness, Vomiting, Weakness
Serious Side Effects: Alopecia, Hypersensitivity allergic reactions causing death, Liver toxicity, Peripheral edema, Peripheral neuropathy, Sepsis causing death.
Manufacturer: Sanofi-Aventis
