Taxotere Permanent Alopecia Lawsuits Centralized in Louisiana Federal Court, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has ordered that all federally-filed Taxotere lawsuits (http://www.rxinjuryhelp.com/taxotere/lawsuit/) involving allegations of permanent hair loss be consolidated in a single jurisdiction for the purposes of coordinated pretrial proceedings. In an Order dated October 4^th, the Panel directed that the docket be transferred to the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, to be presided over by the Honorable Lance M. Africk. (In Re: Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation - MDL No. 2740)

"Our Firm is investigating numerous claims on behalf of cancer patients who allegedly experienced permanent and disfiguring hair loss following chemotherapy with Taxotere. The centralization of these cases will promote the just and efficient conduct of this litigation," says Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective medical devices and drugs. The Firm is now offering free legal evaluations to chemotherapy patients whose hair failed to grow back following treatment with Taxotere.

Taxotere Allegations

Taxotere (docetaxel) was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996 to treat breast cancer. Its approved indications also include head and neck cancer, gastric cancer, prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. It was only in December 2015 that the U.S. label's "Adverse Events" section was updated to note that cases of permanent alopecia had been reported among patients treated with Taxotere.

Taxotere plaintiffs claim that the drug is more likely to result in permanent hair loss compared to equally effective alternative chemotherapy agents. Their complaints also assert that Sanofi-Aventis advised physicians, patients, and regulatory agencies in other countries, including the European Union and Canada, that Taxotere causes an increased risk of permanent disfiguring hair loss. In the U.S, the labeling merely states that "hair generally grows back" following use of the drug.

The JPML's Order transfers 33 Taxotere lawsuits filed in 16 federal jurisdictions to the Eastern District of Louisiana. Another 56 cases currently pending in 26 federal districts could also be eligible for transfer to the new multidistrict litigation. The creation of the centralized docket will allow these claims, as well as any future federal filings, to undergo coordinated pretrial proceedings, thereby avoiding duplicative discovery and inconsistent rulings from various courts.

Taxotere cancer patients who allegedly experienced permanent alopecia following chemotherapy with this medication may be eligible to join this litigation. To learn more about filing a Taxotere lawsuit, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website, or call 800-511-5092 to arrange for a free, no obligation case review.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3.5 billion on behalf of our clients. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is honored to once again be named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country. This year's nomination marks the thirteenth year the firm has been named to this prestigious annual list.

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Contact Information:
Sandy A. Liebhard, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com
http://www.rxinjuryhelp.com/
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