The leukemia drug Tasigna is linked to over 250 reports of a life-threatening artery disease called atherosclerosis. Lawsuits for victims who died accuse Novartis of failing to warn about the risk.
Need a Texas Tasigna Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was diagnosed with atherosclerosis or artery disease, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
What is Tasigna?
Tasigna (generic: nilotinib) is a medication that was approved in the U.S. in 2007 for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). Tasigna works by blocking proteins that leukemia cancer cells require to grow and multiply.
What is the problem?
Patients in the U.S. have not been warned about atherosclerosis, a potentially deadly side effect of Tasigna. The evidence linking Tasigna and artery disease has grown substantially over the last few years.
Atherosclerosis Complications
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Coronary heart disease
- Chest pain
- Carotid artery disease
- Peripheral artery disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Gangrene (tissue death)
- Limb amputation
- Death
Tasigna Lawsuits
The first Tasigna lawsuit was filed by the family of Dennis Lauris, a man from California who took Tasigna and died of atherosclerosis.
Lawyers accuse Novartis of failing to warn patients about the risk:
“Novartis’s failure to warn United States doctors and patients of the serious risks of developing atherosclerosis-related conditions associated with Tasigna was intentional, and part of an aggressive marketing strategy to sell Tasigna over competing TKI drugs.”
The lawsuit was filed on March 22, 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California — In RE: Lauris, et al. v. Novartis AG, et al., — Case No. 16-393.
Tasigna Safety Warnings
In 2013, Health Canada issued a Safety Warning after 277 patients on Tasigna were diagnosed with atherosclerosis between 2005 and 2013. The experts asked doctors to closely monitor patients on Tasigna for symptoms of artery disease — but U.S. patients were never warned.
Studies Linking Tasigna and Artery Disease
In April 2011, researchers at the University of Vienna noted that several patients developed peripheral arterial disease very quickly after taking Tasigna.
In May 2013, researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Nebraska publish another report describing the rapid onset of atherosclerosis that resulted in a patient suffering a stroke.
In April 2014, Japan cited Novartis for failing to report atherosclerosis as a side effect of Tasigna after 33 patients developed artery disease in a study of 3,000 patients.
What is Atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is a serious artery disease that occurs when blood vessels are narrowed by fatty plaque deposits inside the arteries. It reduces blood-flow to the heart, organs, or body.
Health Risks of Atherosclerosis
Artery disease is extremely dangerous because it can occur anywhere in the body. The complications depend on where it is located — usually the heart, brain, pelvis, legs, arms, or kidneys. Blood clots and fatty plaques can break loose and travel in the bloodstream until they get stuck in a vital organ, resulting in a heart attack, stroke, or death.
$390 Million Tasigna Settlement
In 2015, Novartis paid a $390 million settlement to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve allegations that it illegally advertised Tasigna without warnings about side effects. Novartis was also accused of paying illegal kickbacks and aggressively marketing Tasigna with false statements and misleading advertising claims.
Tasigna Recall
Novartis has not recalled Tasigna, even though it has been linked to artery disease and deaths in numerous studies and safety warnings. Unless the FDA requires a recall for Tasigna, it is unlikely that Novartis will risk $1.8 billion in yearly sales of this cancer drug.
Tasigna Class Action Lawsuit
Tasigna lawsuits have been filed by people who were diagnosed with artery disease, but not as part of a class action. Instead, they are individual lawsuits. All of the lawsuits accuse Novartis of failing to warn patients about the risk of atherosclerosis. The lawsuits may eventually be coordinated in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) for efficiency.
Need a Tasigna Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our Texas Tasigna lawyers for a free lawsuit review.
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