{"id":353375,"date":"2016-08-01T16:02:54","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T21:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/injury\/product-liability\/taxotere-hair-loss-lawsuits.html"},"modified":"2023-11-13T11:52:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T16:52:40","slug":"taxotere-hair-loss-lawsuits","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/taxotere-hair-loss-lawsuits.html","title":{"rendered":"Taxotere and Hair Loss: Lawsuits and Legal Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Taxotere and Hair Loss: Lawsuits and Legal Information<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Christie Nicholson, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Oni Harton, J.D.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Taxotere is a chemotherapy drug linked to permanent hair loss in some patients. This has resulted in thousands of lawsuits against its manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis. Plaintiffs allege the company failed to adequately warn about the risk of irreversible alopecia and misrepresented the drug\u2019s side effects.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Temporary hair loss is one of the serious side effects of chemotherapy that cancer patients must contend with. This is on top of extreme nausea and vomiting, weakness, constipation, diarrhea, mouth sores, body aches, and other unpleasant side effects.<\/p>\n

While hair loss is one of the first visible indicators of a person undergoing cancer treatment, hair typically grows back after treatment ends. Sadly, for many patients who take the chemotherapy drug\u00a0Taxotere<\/a>, permanent hair loss is a constant reminder of their struggle with cancer.<\/p>\n

The FDA approved Taxotere<\/a> (generic name docetaxel) in 2004. Doctors began prescribing the drug soon after to treat breast, prostate, and lung cancer. The taxanes in the drug help curb new cell growth. It is a commonly prescribed chemo drug for men with prostate cancer. But, many patients who have taken this drug have filed lawsuits against the drug manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis Inc.<\/p>\n

If you or a loved one have suffered permanent hair loss (alopecia areata<\/a>) after undergoing chemotherapy, Taxotere use or other products containing docetaxel may be the culprit. This article has more information about Taxotere, persistent hair loss, and legal options.<\/p>\n

Although it may not affect your overall health, permanent hair loss is still emotionally distressing and can impact your quality of life. If this is true for you after using Taxotere, you have legal options. A\u00a0product liability attorney<\/a> can help you build a case, gather medical evidence, and pursue a claim against the manufacturer.<\/p>\n

Taxotere at a Glance<\/h2>\n

Taxotere is the brand name for Sanofi’s\u00a0chemotherapy drug consisting of docetaxel<\/a>. The FDA first approved the drug\u00a0in 1996<\/a>, and doctors use it for the treatment of breast cancer and other forms of cancer.<\/p>\n

Doctors administer the drug intravenously. It slows or halts the division of fast-growing cancer cells. One of the reasons so many breast cancer patients take Taxotere is that they only need chemo once every three weeks. Many other chemo drugs require weekly treatment. Given the terrible side effects of many of these drugs, only having to undergo chemotherapy treatment once every three weeks is a comfort for many patients.<\/p>\n

Hair Loss Is Common With Chemotherapy<\/h2>\n

Regardless of the type of cancer drug a patient takes, hair loss is likely. According to experts at the\u00a0Mayo Clinic,<\/a>\u00a0this is a common side effect of most chemo drugs. Usually, a person’s hair grows back once they stop treatment.<\/p>\n

Many patients chose to sue Sanofi, but not because they suffered hair loss. They initiated their product liability litigation against the company because it stated that, after taking Taxotere, their hair would grow back. When patients’ hair was still gone after months (or even years), they wanted someone to hold the drug manufacturer accountable<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Taxotere and Permanent Alopecia<\/h2>\n

Although Sanofi lists hair loss as a possible side effect of Taxotere,\u00a0Sanofi’s drug literature originally claimed<\/a>\u00a0that “hair generally grows back” after the patient completes treatments. But, many patients claimed they could not regrow hair after taking Taxotere, even years later.<\/p>\n

Despite this, Sanofi chose not to investigate the matter further. The company was also reluctant to warn patients of this common side effect. In 2015, the FDA updated Taxotere’s warning label<\/a> to include permanent hair loss. Taxotere’s packaging now states that “in some cases (frequency not known) permanent hair loss has been observed.”<\/p>\n

A 2010 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 9.2% of female patients suffered permanent hair loss 10 years after treatment. Researchers conducted this study five years before the FDA demanded that Sanofi add new warning labels.<\/p>\n

Another study in the United Kingdom in 2021 confirmed these findings. A study published in the\u00a0European Journal of Cancer Care<\/a>\u00a0found that 10% to 15% of all patients who used Taxotere and other cancer drugs containing docetaxel suffered permanent hair loss. The incidence was much higher than it was for other chemotherapy drugs.<\/p>\n

Taxotere Hair Loss Lawsuits: Claims<\/h2>\n

Hattie Carson<\/a>\u00a0was one of the first plaintiffs to file a claim against Sanofi. Her lawsuit alleged that the drug manufacturer\u00a0failed to warn<\/a>\u00a0physicians and patients about the risk of permanent hair loss.<\/p>\n

Carson filed her complaint on Jan. 22, 2016. She claimed that Sanofi misled the public about Taxotere’s risk of permanent alopecia. Her attorney argued that this was a “disfiguring condition, especially for women” and that the company should have known that these risks were “far greater than with other products available to treat the same condition.”<\/p>\n

Carson sought damages<\/a> for the following:<\/p>\n