Miss. Woman Says Sanofi’s Breast Cancer Drug Taxotere Causes Permanent Hair Loss

JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi woman has accused the makers of breast cancer drug Taxotere of failing to adequately warn doctors and patients that it can cause permanent disfiguring hair loss and of misrepresenting the drug’s safety and effectiveness in marketing materials.

The May 31 complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, says Sanofi-Aventis knew or should have known that the rate of permanent hair loss (alopecia) related to Taxotere was far greater than with other products available to treat the same condition.

Taxotere (paclitaxel), which is used in the treatment of various forms …