West Virginia Truvada Lawsuit Attorneys

Gilead Sciences, Inc., is in legal trouble with people who are living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The international pharmaceutical company created an active ingredient known as tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) that they used in their antiretroviral medication, Truvada.

However, individuals who have taken the drug are now filing claims against the company alleging that Gilead purposely failed to inform them and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the negative side effects associated with TDF.

To make matters worse, the company shelved a safer alternative to maximize the value of their patented TDF products, allowing them to make billions of dollars. Now, victims of Gilead’s deception are looking for resolution, and they are hiring experienced West Virginia Truvada lawsuit attorneys to help them get it.

With Onder Law Firm, you have a strong ally that can help you fight for your right to compensation. Gilead took away from you more than the exorbitant prices they charged for Truvada, and it is time they answered for their gross negligence.

Contact Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 to schedule your FREE, no-obligation consultation today.

Overview of West Virginia HIV Facts and Statistics

What was once considered a death sentence is now a manageable condition with the aid of antiretroviral drugs like Truvada. The drug has worked miracles in inhibiting the replication of HIV-infected cells in people living with the virus – but that has come at a steep price.

It is important to reflect upon West Virginia HIV-related facts and statistics to put a face to those that could be suffering as a result of using Truvada to manage their condition.

According to AIDSVu.org, approximately 1,774 people were living with HIV in West Virginia in 2016. Out of every 100,000 people, 114 were found to be living with the virus. Out of this total, the ethnic breakdown was:

• 8 percent Caucasian
• 5 percent African America
• 7 percent Hispanic/Latinx
• 1 percent identified as male
• 9 percent identified as female

In 2017, around 78 new HIV cases were diagnosed, pinpointing the area of contraction in men stemming from:

• 8 percent Male-to-Male Sexual Contact
• 4 percent Male-to-Male Sexual Contact & Injection Drug Use
• 7 percent Injection Drug Use
• 1 percent Heterosexual Contact

It also revealed where women had contracted the virus:

• 5 percent Heterosexual Contact
• 5 percent Injection Drug Use

In 2016, some of the most affected counties in West Virginia included:

• Monroe County – 251 individuals living with the virus per 100,000
• Gilmer County – 233 people living with HIV per 100,000
• Pleasants County – 215 individuals living with HIV per 100,000
• Kanawha County – 192 people living with HIV per 100,000
• Cabell County – 180 individuals living with the virus per 100,000

By the end of 2016, 37 lives were lost due to complications arising from HIV. Even with so many perishing because of the virus, medications like Truvada are still valuable for those in need of protecting themselves.

However, while the drug may be a boon to those living with HIV, the negative side effect information and deceit committed by Gilead Sciences is inexcusable and must be answered for in civil court.

Gilead’s Recent Litigation

Gilead has been on the defensive side of many lawsuits throughout their 30 years of operation. From giving medical professionals financial kickbacks and other compensation in order to increase medication sales, to sourcing ingredients from unapproved Chinese sources, Gilead has quite the reputation in civil court.

In fact, in May 2019, the company was under rigorous inspection by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chair for the House Oversight Committee, Elijah Cummings, for Truvada’s exorbitant price tag.

To add some context to this, Gilead manufactures this drug, at around $6 for one month’s supply. Someone who is living with HIV and has no insurance typically pays anywhere between $1,600 to $2,000 for one month’s supply. The company has tried to justify these large profit margins by stating the high price is necessary in order to encourage innovation, research, and development of newer drugs.

What the company failed to acknowledge, however, is that Truvada was first manufactured by scientists who were funded with taxpayer money. Even now, Gilead is facing another lawsuit along with other pharmaceutical giants Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson for their role in creating a monopoly in the HIV medication market.

At present, two gentlemen in California who are living with HIV and have taken Truvada have come forward with lawsuits of their own, inspiring other victims who were injured to do so as well. As a whole, these claims allege that Gilead knowingly sold Truvada with its negative side effects and purposefully withheld a safer alternative to maximize profit.

This safer alternative, known as tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF), is known to be just as effective at reducing HIV-infected cell replication as TDF but can be taken in smaller, safer doses. It was shelved solely for the fact that Gilead wanted to profit as much off of its TDF-based drug until its patent expired in 2015. Following the expiration of its patent, Gilead sought FDA approval for their “new” TAF-based medications.

These kinds of business practices are shameful and must be answered in civil court. The attorneys of Onder Law Firm want to do their part by ensuring that you get full and fair compensation for the damages you have suffered.

Gilead took advantage of you, and now it’s time for them to answer for their deceit. Contact us at Onder Law Firm to get started on your product liability claim now.

How Onder Law Firm Can Help Your Defective Drug Claim

Because of the complexity that these particular types of cases, settling for nothing short of an experienced product liability lawyer from Onder Law Firm is your best bet at fighting for your right to full compensation.

Product liability claims can be challenging because of the corporation’s army of defense lawyers and resources. Recruiting our law firm to take Gilead Sciences on is in your best interest because we have fought and won over $3 billion in verdicts and settlements from previous product liability claims.

Our lawyers take the time necessary to truly get to know your claim, detail by detail, to see where in the three product liability categories it falls into:

1. Defective Design – The design of the product was inherently dangerous from the start.
2. Defective Manufacturing – The manufacturing processes caused the product to become defective.
3. Failure to Warn Defect – A dangerous product lacked adequate safety instructions, warning labels, or warranties.

If a company’s product should fall within any of these three categories, victims may qualify to receive compensation meant to cover the following:

• Medical Bills (past, present, and future)
• Pain and Suffering
• Lost Wages (past, present, and future)
• Loss of Earning Capacity
• Loss of Quality of Life
• Loss of Consortium
• Emotional Damages
• Wrongful Death Damages

Our West Virginia Truvada lawsuit attorneys have dealt with large corporations in civil court before, acquiring the compensation clients need to recover. Contact Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 today to schedule your FREE legal consultation.

Prolonged Truvada Use Can Cause Bone and/or Kidney Complications

In order to effectively reduce HIV-infected cells, excessive amounts of TDF are required. TDF works by reducing the activity of reverse transcriptase—an enzyme that aids in HIV replication. The same job can be done at safer levels through TAF, though that’s not the option Gilead opted for.

Large quantities of TDF can cause tremendous amounts of damage to the skeletal and urinary systems within users of Truvada. Recent studies have shown that TDF can cause a condition known as osteopenia in people who consume it for a long period of time. Osteopenia, also known as bone demineralization, occurs when the body cannot produce more bone than it reabsorbs.

In time, this can lead to osteoporosis, a condition which leaves bone brittle and easily susceptible to fractures. Watch out for the following symptoms if you or someone you love has taken Truvada frequently for a long period of time:

• Discomfort in the extremities (legs and arms)
• Muscle pain
• Worsening bone pain

People who are living with HIV and are taking Truvada should also take necessary precautions as prolonged use has also been shown to cause kidneys to overproduce serum creatinine. This overproduction often signals the beginning stages of chronic kidney disease and other conditions such as:

• Abnormal protein levels
• Acute kidney injury
• Fanconi’s Syndrome
• Low kidney function
• Tubular dysfunction
• Renal failure

The above kidney complications are also signaled by many of the following symptoms:

• Anemia
• Bruising
• Changes in skin color
• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Inability to urinate
• Muscle cramps
• Nausea
• Swelling
• Vomiting
• Weakness

If you suspect that your prolonged use of Truvada has caused any of the health issues mentioned above, getting in touch with your doctor as soon as possible is essential to your well-being. In fact, if you suffer from preexisting bone and/or kidney complications, frequent and prolonged Truvada use can make these conditions worse. Visiting the doctor and documenting the side effects you’ve experienced is the difference between winning and losing your product liability claim.

Experience you can count on. Contact the West Virginia Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 for your FREE legal consultation now.