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Truvada Lawsuit Attorneys in California

A recent set of lawsuits filed by two California men living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targeted a drug manufacturing company which had concealed important side effect information and shelved safer medicines, all in the name of increased profits.

Gilead Sciences Inc. is now under fire for their role in causing bone and kidney complications in users of their HIV drug called Truvada. People all across the nation are looking for the right legal representation to help fight for the compensation they deserve in civil court.

Look no further than the California Truvada lawsuit lawyers of Onder Law Firm for the best in legal representation. We have years of experience in taking big corporations to court on behalf of our clients, fighting for their voice to be heard and winning millions in compensation for them.

If you or someone you love has suffered negative side effects and complications from using the HIV drug, Truvada, contact us at (314) 310-7924 to set up your FREE legal consultation.

About the Truvada Lawsuits

Recently, Gilead Sciences Inc. has garnered a lot of attention through their use of deceptive marketing tactics regarding their patented PrEP medication called Truvada.

The medication contains an active component known as tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) that has recently been linked to the development of bone and kidney complications, side effects that Gilead allegedly knew about when the medication was first manufactured in the early 2010s.

The company failed to relay that information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order to secure their patent on their TDF-based medications. But the deception doesn’t end there.

Gilead had also created a safer alternative to TDF-based medications that employed the use of another component known as tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF). This component could be taken in much safer, smaller doses which would not cause the same negative symptoms that TDF-based medications do.

In order to preserve profit margins, however, the company concealed this TAF information, opting to sell their TDF-based medicines until their patent lapsed in 2015. They then began to sell TAF-based medication as a “new and improved” formula.

Because of this, users of Truvada have developed debilitating side effects and are now actively recruiting legal teams to represent them in their bid to bring Gilead to justice.

If you or someone you love has been affected by Truvada, the California Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm have the legal experience, strategy, and resources you need to earn maximum monetary compensation. Call us now at (314) 310-7924 for your FREE legal consultation.

How Does Truvada Affect the Body?

Truvada was crafted as a two-pronged solution to reduce the growth and spread of HIV in those infected with the virus and those with a high risk of contracting it. It does so by reducing the activity of a hormone that HIV latches on to – reverse transcriptase.

While this may seem like a brilliant approach to treating HIV, TDF-based medicines have been shown to cause a myriad of severe side effects. Some of these additional TDF-based medications include:

  • Atripla
  • Complera
  • Stribild
  • Viread

Studies have shown that TDF is linked to the loss of bone mineral density since it causes the body to lose calcium and other minerals that make bones strong. These minerals are flushed out of the body through the kidneys, which in turn makes the bones of the user of Truvada much more brittle. Brittle bones are much more susceptible to fractures and breaks. In fact, approximately 6,000 of users have experienced bone breaks.

If you are taking Truvada and are experiencing any of the following bone complications, you may qualify for compensation:

  • Discomfort in Extremities
  • Decreased Bone Mineral Density
  • Bone Deterioration or Osteoporosis
  • Bone Loss or Osteopenia
  • Dental Complications (e.g. Tooth Decay and Loss)
  • Bone Fractures

Aside from bone complications, a large amount of TDF is required to suppress HIV replication, and this excess tends to linger in the kidneys as well. This can cause:

  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • Declining Kidney Function/Decreased Urination
  • Acute Kidney Injury
  • Acute Renal Failure
  • Fanconi Syndrome
  • Kidney Failure

If you or someone you love are users of Truvada or other TDF-based medications and have experienced these negative side effects and symptoms, seek out medical attention immediately. Afterward, contact the California Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm to handle your claim at (314) 310-7924.

California HIV Patients and Truvada

In 2016, California had approximately 126,129 individuals living with HIV. Of those living with the condition:

  • 8 percent African-American
  • 7 percent Hispanic/Latinx
  • 7 percent White

The number of new HIV diagnoses reached 4,495 in 2017.

Out of those living with HIV in California, 88.2 percent were male and 11.8 percent were female. This reflects a rate of 385 people per 100,000 living with HIV throughout the state.

Some of the highest rates occurred in the following areas:

  • Los Angeles County (565 people per 100,000)
  • Riverside County (383 people per 100,000)
  • San Diego County (455 people per 100,000)
  • Marin County (355 people out of every 100,000)
  • Alameda County (408 people out of every 100,000)
  • Sonoma County (331 people out of every 100,000)

The condition has claimed 1,702 lives in California in 2016.

If you are one of these individuals in California that has taken Truvada to treat HIV and are suffering from bone and kidney complications, there is still hope. Contact our California Truvada lawsuit attorneys today to begin your fight for maximum monetary compensation.

Past Lawsuits Filed Against Gilead Sciences Inc.

The following are two separate lawsuits filed against the manufacturer of Truvada.

U.S. ex rel. Campie v. Gilead Sciences Inc.

Around 2017, a lawsuit was filed against Gilead Sciences Inc. by two former employees, stating that the company had allegedly violated the False Claims Act. In their testimony, the former employees stated that Gilead had provided the FDA with misleading information about the source and quality of one of their main active ingredients — emtricitabine (FCT) — which they use in various TDF-based medicines including Emtriva, Atripla, and Truvada. 

According to this lawsuit, the company had been approved by the FDA to source the FCT from providers in the United States, Canada, Germany, and South Korea. In order to allegedly reduce costs, Gilead actually concealed data from the FDA and sourced their main ingredient from an unapproved provider in China between 2008 and 2010.

After Gilead generated over $5 billion in funds courtesy of federal healthcare programs, their unapproved source from China ultimately would prove to be detrimental to the consumer, with the contaminated product resulting in two recalls in 2014.

This case, however, was dismissed when the federal government decided not to “waste” more resources on a case that had been fully investigated

Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate Lawsuits

This particular lawsuit is important as it all began in California. Two fellow Californians living with HIV filed a personal injury lawsuit against Gilead, stating that the company had withheld a safer alternative to their TDF-based drugs.

The alternative — known as tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) — was proven to be a much safer drug than TDF, but Gilead allegedly decided to shelve it and sell their TDF-based medications, knowing full well about the negative side effects.

The lawsuit alleges that Gilead did this to maximize profits on their TDF medications until the patent expired in 2015. With their patent secured, Gilead could charge exorbitant prices for their TDF-based medications and then sell their TAF-based medications as an improved formula.

What was truly important about this case is that the two California gentlemen who filed it also filed a parallel case in order to create a class action lawsuit for others that may have also been affected by the company’s deception.

Who Is Affected Most by Truvada?

It is estimated that around 136,000 people throughout the United States are currently taking Truvada.

The faces behind the suffering usually involve those that take the drug frequently to combat the growth and spread of HIV, mostly gay and bisexual men — particularly men of color.

Of this particular demographic, around 86 percent of African-Americans, 87 percent of Latinos, and 95 percent of white bisexual and gay men know about Truvada and how it can help them reduce the growth of HIV. From these groups, 26 percent of African-Americans, 30 percent of Latinos, and 40 percent of white gay and bisexual men actively use the drug for treatment and preventative purposes.

Taking Truvada for preventative purposes has not shown to significantly put a person at risk for the devastating side-effects. The main group affected is individuals who are HIV positive and have been using the drug for years to treat their HIV.

No matter what gender, race, sexual orientation, or creed, you deserve compensation for the kidney and bone complications you sustained due to Gilead’s deception.

The California Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm want to help you get back on your feet. If you or someone you love has taken Truvada and developed bone and/or kidney complications, contact us at (314) 310-7924 or online for your FREE legal consultation today.

Our team is ready to help you with your Truvada case Call (314) 310-7924

This web site is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits. Results include Co-lead counsel on Yaz MDL & co-liaison leadership role in Pradaxa MDL.

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