Numerous Taxotere lawsuits have been filed in recent years. Taxotere (docetaxel) is the chemotherapy drug used most commonly to treat breast cancer as well as lung cancer, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, and head/neck cancer. The FDA approved Taxotere for use in 1996. In 2009, the last year before Sanofi lost its patent protection, the drug earned $3 billion for the manufacturer. Plaintiffs in Taxotere lawsuits claim that the drug causes permanent hair loss, alopecia, and that the manufacturer failed to warn them of this risk. While temporary hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatment, permanent hair loss is not common.
Plaintiffs claim that if the manufacturer had effectively warned of the risk they would have selected treatment with Taxol. While Taxol is arguably more effective than Taxotere is requires a greater number of treatments.