Taxotere Claims Move Forward as More Plaintiffs Join Suit
More and more patients who took Taxotere during their cancer treatment are joining a massive lawsuit based on the side effects they’ve suffered. The multi-district litigation based on the patients’ claims is progressing toward a settlement conference, as even more troubling allegations arise from Taxotere patients located abroad.
Hundreds more claimants joining suit
In October of 2016, the claims of Taxotere victims were consolidated before a single federal judge in Louisiana. Multi-district litigation (MDL) allows plaintiffs making similar claims against a common defendant to share evidence in the lead-up to trial, and to negotiate for a possible settlement as a group. When the claims were first consolidated into the MDL, only 33 claims were transferred before a single judge. Since that time, the total number of claims filed against the makers of Taxotere by individual plaintiffs has swelled to 949. This is an increase of 150 claims in the past month alone.
Effects of Taxotere still being understood
The plaintiffs participating in the MDL largely claim that the cancer-fighting drug caused them to suffer permanent hair loss, known as alopecia. Taxotere is commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer, meaning that the majority of these claimants suffering permanent hair loss are women. However, there are claims arising in France that the drug may have even more dangerous side effects.
ANSM, the French health regulatory agency, recently notified oncologists in that country of five deaths of women being treated by a generic version of Taxotere known as docetaxel. Those women all died of neutropenic enterocolitis, a condition that causes the mucous lining of the intestinal tract to become inflamed. One prominent cancer treatment center has since stopped using docetaxel, replacing it with a similar but less aggressive version of the drug.
Science day upcoming
The federal judge overseeing the American MDL recently announced that the court would hold what’s known as a “science day” on May 3, 2017. Science day allows experts for both the plaintiff and defense side to explain the technical scientific and medical information forming the basis for the claims and defenses at issue in the lawsuit. Shortly thereafter, the judge will meet with representatives of plaintiffs and defendants to discuss possible settlement scenarios.
If you’ve suffered permanent hair loss or other troubling symptoms after using the cancer drug Taxotere, find out if you have a right to compensation for your injuries by contacting the dedicated and effective Los Angeles personal injury and defective drug lawyers at Magaña, Cathcart & McCarthy for a consultation, at 310-553-6630.
