Maine Truvada Lawsuit Attorneys

Gilead Sciences Inc. is facing new litigation from plaintiffs claiming that the company failed to warn them about bone and kidney complications stemming from its antiretroviral drug, Truvada. To make matters worse, the company withheld a safer alternative in order to maximize profits from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-based (TDF) drugs until their patent expired.

This decision was purely made for the sake of greed, and in order to see it through, Gilead purposefully put its users’ health at risk. Now, those that were taken advantage of by the company are seeking out compensation to cover the extensive injuries they sustained through no fault of their own.

Onder Law Firm has heard the cries of those living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have also fallen victim to Gilead’s deception and wants to help them make things right. Our dedicated Maine Truvada lawsuit attorneys have the legal experience needed to see you through this difficult time.

Contact the Maine Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 to schedule your no-cost, zero-obligation case review today.

More on Gilead’s Recent Legal Troubles

The sad truth of the matter is that Gilead is no stranger to lawsuits. Throughout the last 30 years of operation, Gilead has been sued for not only funneling kickbacks to medical professionals in order to promote sales of their HIV and Hepatitis B drugs, but also for sourcing their ingredients from unapproved vendors.

In May 2019, the company came under heavy scrutiny from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chair of the House Oversight Committee, Elijah Cummings, for a bevy of their shady business practices.

Even now, Gilead Sciences, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Johnson & Johnson are under lawsuit for creating a TDF drug monopoly.

In truth, Gilead charges around $1,600 per month for those living with HIV who are uninsured, despite costing the manufacturer around $6 to make one month’s supply. The company has attempted to justify these high prices, stating that the high cost is needed to continue research and development into more effective drugs, yet when Gilead first manufactured Truvada, they did so with scientists funded through taxpayer money.

Now, flocks of individuals living with HIV who were harmed through prolonged use of Truvada are coming forward with their personal injury claims thanks to two gentlemen in California who had enough. In this latest series of lawsuits, victims are seeking justice for Gilead’s actions that left them injured when a safer drug alternative was available.

Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF), the safer alternative, was manufactured alongside Tenofovir DF back in the early 2000s, yet when Gilead discovered that they could maximize their profits by selling their TDF-based medications before their patent expired, TAF was shelved. Once the patent expired in 2015, Gilead went hard to work to get a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their supposedly “new” TAF-based medication.

Because of this type of gross negligence, Onder Law Firm couldn’t stand idly by and watch Gilead hurt its users for revenue. Our product liability attorneys are focused on delivering justice to those most affected. It is our goal to help improve the quality of life of victims after Gilead has already taken so much from them.

If you have suffered at the hands of Gilead Sciences, Inc., let your voice be heard. Contact us at Onder Law Firm to get started on your product liability claim now.

Side Effects and Injuries Sustained From Prolonged Truvada Use

Tenofovir AF is considered to be safer than its TDF counterpart because it is just as effective at reducing the activity of reverse transcriptase — an enzyme that aids in the replication of HIV-infected cells — but in smaller doses. Tenofovir DF, on the other hand, must be taken at high amounts in order to be effective.

Excessive amounts of TDF can do irreparable damage to the human body the longer, and more frequently, it is taken. Recently, TDF has been linked to the development of serious bone and kidney complications in people living with HIV that are taking the drug. If they also have preexisting complications within the skeletal or urinary systems, Truvada can actually make those conditions worse.

Osteopenia is one of the main conditions found to be caused by prolonged Truvada use. This condition drains bones of essential minerals — namely calcium — which are needed to reconstruct itself and stay strong. This loss of bone density can lead to osteoporosis, a condition where bones become brittle and easily fractured.

If you or someone you love has been taking Truvada for quite some time now and are experiencing any of the following symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible:

• Extreme discomfort
• Muscle pain
• Worsening bone pain

Large quantities of TDF have also been shown to cause an overproduction of serum creatinine within the user’s body, signaling the beginning stages of chronic kidney disease. If left unchecked, prolonged Truvada use can cause the following severe kidney conditions:

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

The following symptoms may suggest that you have developed any of the above kidney conditions due to Truvada use:

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

It is always a good idea to have any symptoms that cause you concern to be analyzed by a licensed medical professional. Aside from receiving the crucial treatment that you need to help fight off the injuries sustained due to Gilead’s deception, a hospital visit can also document what condition you’ve suffered from and how much the treatment costs. This kind of evidence is important to your product liability lawyer and your claim.

Our Maine Truvada lawsuit attorneys have experience taking large corporations to civil court. Contact Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 today to schedule your FREE legal consultation today.

How Onder Law Firm Can Help Your Claim

Product liability claims are complex lawsuits to file as so many details must be reviewed and evidence must be collected and preserved. Going at it alone — or with an inexperienced law firm — can be a losing battle as these entities have ample amounts of legal resources and defense lawyers at their disposal.

You need a law firm that is unafraid to take on these complicated cases head-on. You need attorneys that have extensive legal experience in dealing with such entities. With over $3 billion in verdicts and settlements won, Onder Law Firm is that law firm.

In order to effectively represent your claim, our lawyers must take a look at the bigger picture. Product liability is usually separated into three categories, and it is up to your attorney to classify the claim into one of them depending on the details of your case:

1. Defective Design – The product was inherently defective by design.
2. Defective Manufacturing – The product was rendered defective at some point during the manufacturing process.
3. Failure to Warn Defect – A dangerous product lacked adequate warning labels, warranties, and safety instructions to inform the user of said danger.

Should a company fail in any of the above three circumstances, the victim of a defective product may be eligible to seek restitution to cover:

• 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

Overview of Maine HIV Facts and Statistics

HIV may have been considered a death sentence at one grim point of time, but now it is a manageable condition. While Truvada has done some good in keeping HIV-infected cells from replicating, it is Gilead’s deceit that is problematic and warranting correction through the civil court.

Because Truvada is mainly used by people living with HIV, bone and kidney complications are usually seen within this same group of people. The following Maine HIV statistics show us just how many people could be affected if they have taken Truvada frequently over a long period of time.

According to AIDSVu.org, in 2016 there were approximately 1,543 people were living with HIV in Maine. For every 100,000 people, 134 of them had been living with the virus. From this:

• 3 percent were Caucasian.
• 6 percent were African American.
• 5 percent were Hispanic/Latinx.

A total of 29 new HIV cases were diagnosed in 2017. It is here that we see how the virus was contracted. In males:

• 8 percent Male-to-Male Sexual Contact
• 5 percent Injection Drug Use
• 7 percent Heterosexual Contact

Women had contracted the virus through:

• 0 percent Heterosexual Contact
• 0 percent Injection Drug Use

Some of the most affected counties in 2016 include:

• Cumberland County – 222 individuals living with the virus per 100,000.
• Androscoggin County – 148 people living with HIV per 100,000.
• York County – 130 individuals living with HIV per 100,000.
• Hancock County – 128 people living with HIV per 100,000.
• Kennebec County – 127 individuals living with the virus per 100,000.

The virus would ultimately take the lives of 22 individuals in 2016. It bears repeating that antiretroviral drugs like Truvada are a must-have when it comes to halting the replication of HIV-infected cells within those living with HIV while increasing survival rates and quality of life; however, it is unacceptable that a company deliberately withheld negative side effect information and a safer alternative, essentially placing profits over people.

Compassion you can count on. Experience you can trust. Contact the Maine Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 for your FREE case review now.