Tennessee Truvada Lawsuit

Before the late 1990s, a diagnosis of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was viewed as a death sentence. The introduction of HIV treatment drugs such as Truvada made the condition more manageable.

Individuals diagnosed with HIV now had the chance to live long and healthy lives when taking the medication regularly. Unfortunately, information surrounding the dangers of the HIV treatment ingredient known as tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) soon surfaced. Many Truvada users, and others using HIV treatments which contained TDF began to experience serious health complications.

Gilead Sciences Inc., the maker of Truvada, is now facing thousands of lawsuits alleging that the company had knowledge of the painful side effects its TDF drugs could cause. The company is said to have continued marketing TDF products while keeping a safer alternative shelved for the purpose of preserving booming Truvada sales.

If you or someone you love has suffered bone damage or kidney failure after taking drugs containing TDF, contact the trustworthy Tennessee Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 today to see if your case qualifies for compensation.

What are the Side Effects of Truvada?

Truvada was introduced as a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antiretroviral in 2004. The treatment is a combination of the drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF).

By 2012, Truvada was recognized as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) used to help protect HIV-negative individuals from contracting the virus. Taking the Truvada once-a-day pill can reduce the risk of transmission by more than 90 percent.

TDF works by reducing activity in reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that allows HIV to replicate. Although the drug reduces HIV in the blood and minimizes the spread of the infection, it must be taken in high amounts in order to be effective. High quantities of TDF can be highly toxic to the body.

Some common side effects of Truvada include:

Nausea
Stomach pains
Diarrhea
Headaches
Depression
Trouble sleeping
Itchiness

Gilead has made these side effects known to patients and doctors, but some side effects have yet to be disclosed. Such side effects that have been linked to TDF-based treatments like Truvada include:

Bone Demineralization

Fractures
Persistent/ worsening bone pain
Bone death
Osteoporosis
Osteopenia

Chronic Kidney Disease

Anemia
Fatigue
Diarrhea
Itchy skin
Confusion
Trouble urinating
Kidney toxicity
Renal damage
Kidney failure

If you or a loved one has sustained serious health complications after taking Truvada, you should seek out medical attention first. Then contact the Tennessee Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm immediately for your FREE case review.

Lawsuits Filed Against Truvada

In May of 2018, two HIV patients came forward with allegations against Gilead Sciences Inc. after the parties suffered bone and kidney damage from taking the tenofovir-based HIV treatment Truvada. The Gilead lawsuits were filed before the California civil court, claiming that the injuries sustained were the result of the pharmaceutical company’s dishonesty and failure to discontinue a dangerous product.

The cases shed light on the malicious marketing tactics that the pharmaceutical company used to advertise toxic TDF, such as refraining to disclose information about the dangers of the drug and even withholding a safer alternative to the drug called tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF).

This is likely in part of Truvada’s success and annual net sales which exceed $18 billion. Gilead made plans of releasing TAF as the “new and improved” alternative in 2015 when Truvada’s TDF patent was set to expire.

Patients who have suffered bone and kidney damage are now taking legal action. Although clients can sign onto class action lawsuits, where they will be represented as a collective, individuals should seek to pursue a personal injury claim to maximize the amount of damages recovered.

Who Faces the Dangers of Truvada?

In America, over 1.1 million individuals have HIV, and still, 15 percent of persons older than age 13 are unaware that they have it.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men who have sex with men make up 67 percent of all those who contracted HIV in 2016.

There are currently 16,190 individuals diagnosed with HIV in the state of Tennessee.

Statistics of HIV diagnoses in the state of Tennessee are as follows:

Persons newly diagnosed with HIV (2017): 713
Persons living with diagnosed HIV (2017): 17,522
Deaths among persons diagnosed with HIV (2016): 298

A higher number of diagnoses was reported amongst racial minorities across America, with African American individuals as the minority with the highest diagnoses.

The racial demographics of HIV-diagnosed persons in the state of Tennessee include:

African American: 55.8 percent
Hispanic/Latinx: 35.3 percent
Caucasian: 5.1 percent

Individuals of the LGBT community and racial minorities are more prone to begin Truvada as an antiretroviral treatment. As of 2018, 1,809 individuals in Tennessee were on the drug. These individuals may have started the medication to treat the side effects of HIV; however, these groups may also be the most susceptible to the dangers of TDF-based medications.

Product Liability Claims in Tennessee

Product liability is the law that governs injuries which are sustained by a defective product. Manufacturers have a duty owed to consumers that their product is completely safe to use as directed.

In the state of Tennessee, claimants must be able to prove that a product is “unreasonably dangerous” or had a “defective condition” which caused them to suffer physical injury or death.

The three types of product defects that manufacturers are liable for are:

Design Defect: A flaw in design that existed prior to the manufacturing process.
Manufacturing Defect: A flaw that originated in the manufacturing process.
Marketing Defect: Lack of instruction on how to use the product safely or lack of adequate warning to prevent potential dangers.

The statute of limitations on such claims is complex in Tennessee. The following are specific conditions on filing that one should remember if they purchased and were injured by a defective product:

A lawsuit should be filed for an injury caused by a defective product within 6 years of when the injury was sustained, even if symptoms of the injury do not make itself apparent at the time of the incident.
Claims can only be pursued for incidents that occur with products that were purchased less than 10 years prior.
Lawsuits for products that expire must be filed within 1 year of the expiration date.

Filing a product liability claim can be very complex, and pursuing expert legal assistance can be beneficial in maximizing the amount of compensation recovered.

The following are damages that may be recovered in a defective pharmaceutical product claim:

Medical expenses (past and future)
Lost wages (past and future)
Loss of earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Disability or disfigurement
Wrongful death

How Tennessee Truvada Attorneys Help You

Gilead manufactured a defective product and failed to inform the public of (1) the potential dangers of the prescription and (2) a safer alternative to TDF. Thousands of Americans who used Truvada antiretroviral treatment and pre-exposure prophylaxis were deceived for the sake of maintaining sales and profit.

As a result, individuals may face a myriad of health complications that Gilead has yet to confirm, while allegations against them and class action lawsuits are still being pursued.

Pharmaceutical companies owe a duty to consumers to make sure no product or medication is unreasonably dangerous or defective. It can be difficult to know how to pursue justice from such a powerful corporation. However, trust that our attorneys are committed to holding Gilead accountable and helping victims secure deserved compensation.

If you or someone you love has sustained health complications from taking Truvada, pursue a product liability claim with trusted Onder Law Firm attorneys to get the individualized attention your claim deserves. We know how difficult it can be to deal with the injury inflicted by a defective product. Our goal is to help alleviate the financial felt by victims by recovering maximum damages through a lawsuit against Gilead for its negligent conduct.

The Tennessee Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm will fight for your rights and ultimate recovery. Contact us today at [phone-numbers] to get a FREE legal consultation from experienced product liability attorneys.