Maryland Truvada Lawsuits Page

Gilead Sciences Inc. manufactured an HIV treatment drug called Truvada in the early 2000s, but it wasn’t until recently that the company was sued for the debilitating side effects they failed to warn their users about.

Truvada, which contains an active ingredient called tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), helps those living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by controlling its growth and spread. It is this active ingredient, however, that has been linked to the development of bone and kidney complications.

Now, thousands of users of the drug are coming forward with their painful injuries sustained from Truvada use and are looking for qualified product liability lawyers to represent them in civil court. With years of service dedicated to winning maximum monetary compensation for our clients, the Maryland Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm want to help you earn the restitution you need to properly recover.

Contact our experienced Maryland Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 to set up your FREE, no-obligation consultation today.

The Negative Side Effects Users of Truvada Experience

The TDF in Truvada works by reducing the activity of an enzyme—called reverse transcriptase—within the body that is responsible for HIV replication. This obstructs HIV from growing within those living with the virus and prevents it from spreading to those that don’t. To do this, massive amounts of TDF are required.

This excess can cause damage to bones by depleting them of the calcium and other minerals they need to stay strong. In fact, bone demineralization can drain bone of its minerals at such an exponential rate that the body won’t have time to rebuild it. Over time, the user’s bones can become brittle, leaving them susceptible to:

• 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

Since the kidneys are tasked to then flush away all of this excess TDF and calcium, complications can arise. An overproduction of serum creatinine is an early sign of chronic kidney disease that can manifest with TDF use. Eventually, if this persists unchecked, it can lead to:

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

Because of these side effects, people that suffer from preexisting kidney and bone diseases may have their conditions worsened. In other cases, lactic acidosis—a condition that overproduces lactic acid within the body—has left users of Truvada feeling muscle aches, burning sensations, stomach cramps, nausea, and rapid breathing. In extreme cases, lactic acidosis can even cause death.

Overview of Maryland HIV Statistics

Many individuals may be at a high risk of developing chronic bone and kidney diseases if they are taking HIV medications like Truvada that contain TDF. In 2016, Maryland had 32,506 individuals that lived with HIV, which was equal to a rate of 643 people living with the virus per 100,000 people.

Of the 32,506 individuals, around:

• 73.6 percent were African-American
• 13 percent were Hispanic/Latinx
• 6.7 percent were White
• 65.7 percent were male
• 34.3 percent were female

That same year, some of the most affect counties within Maryland that have high rates of individuals suffering from HIV include:

• Montgomery County – 397 individuals were diagnosed with HIV per 100,000.
• Somerset County – 412 individuals had lived with HIV per 100,000.
• Baltimore County – 461 people were living with HIV per 100,000.
• Dorchester County – 516 people had been living with HIV per 100,000.
• Prince George’s County – 889 people were diagnosed with HIV per 100,000.

Sadly at the end of 2016, 487 deaths—a rate of 10 people dying from complications caused by HIV per 100,000—were reported. The following year, 1,026 new HIV diagnoses were found, which was equivalent to a rate of 20 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 people in Maryland.

These new cases of HIV diagnoses in men were attributable to:

• Male-to-Male Sexual Contact (56 percent)
• Injection Drug Use (18.4 percent)
• Heterosexual Contact (18.2 percent)
• Male-to-Male Sexual Contact and Injection Use (6.1 percent)
• Other (1.3 percent)

From women who were newly diagnosed with HIV, it was found that they had contracted the virus from:

• Heterosexual Contact (73.2 percent)
• Injection Drug Use (24 percent)
• Other (2.8 percent)

Where Truvada Litigation Began

Gilead Sciences Inc. opened its doors back in 1987, and since then, the pharmaceutical company has been the target of many lawsuits due to its questionable business practices. In past lawsuits, whistleblowers came forward claiming that Gilead had developed a plan to sell their Hepatitis B and HIV medications by funneling kickbacks in order pay off:

• Doctors’ salaries
• Personnel to facilitate writing prescriptions for their medications
• Laboratory upgrades
• Medical center software upgrades

In other past lawsuits, Gilead allegedly acquired contaminated ingredients from unapproved Chinese sources by concealing information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And now, Gilead’s legal troubles would only continue into the present day, where two men who used Truvada developed negative side effects and filed personal injury lawsuits against the company.

The current lawsuit states that Gilead allegedly withheld a safer alternative to their TDF-based medications in order to secure its patent and charge steep prices for the drug. This safer alternative, known as tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF), works just as effectively as TDF, only at smaller, safer doses. After TDF’s patent would expire in 2015, the company planned to sell their TAF alternatives as an improved formula.

This decision brought Gilead $11 billion in sales yearly, while their users not only spent their hard-earned money on their HIV medications, but also paid costly hospital bills to treat side effects they weren’t even aware of. Gilead, however, knew about these bone and kidney complications since Truvada’s creation and sold it anyway.

The two men also filed a class action lawsuit as a call to others that have suffered like them to come forward and seek compensation from a pharmaceutical company that lied to them and put profits over their consumers’ health. While doing this shows Gilead and the rest that behavior like this won’t be taken lightly, a class action lawsuit can undervalue what your claim could be worth.

That’s why recruiting the experienced Maryland Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm is the best decision you can make if you want to hit Gilead where it truly hurts—their pocketbook.

Don’t sell your injuries and negative experiences short. Gilead owes you for their deception. Contact Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 to set up your FREE legal consultation today.

Maryland Product Liability

It is always a good idea to file your product liability claim early. Litigation takes time, and the quicker you file after you have sustained an injury, the better chances you have at winning the compensation you deserve. Do keep in mind, however, that if you have suffered injury because of Truvada use, you have three years to file a claim from when the injury occurred as per Maryland’s statute of limitations.

When you file a claim early, the details of the incident are still fresh in your mind. You have the time to consult with a doctor to accurately depict how and when you began to experience kidney complications and see if it was a result of your Truvada use.

Once ample amounts of evidence has been secured, your lawyer must consider which of the three categories of product liability your case falls under

1. Defective Design – Was your injury caused by a product that was defective by design?
2. Manufacturing Defect – Was the product’s defect that harmed you made during the design or manufacturing process? In this category, the claim solely looks at the product, not if the company acted negligently or in a malicious manner.
3. Lack of Adequate Warning or Instructions – Did the product have toxic substances, choking hazards, hot elements, or sharp edges? Was clear, visible warning and instructions provided in order to keep you safe? Failure to provide this information can leave the manufacturer liable for your injury.

Our Maryland Truvada lawsuit lawyers know product liability law and can help you navigate through its complexities so you can focus on recovering.

Get your life back on track with the help of the dedicated Maryland Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm today by contacting us at (314) 310-7924 and scheduling your FREE, no-obligation consultation.