Ohio Truvada Lawyers

Gilead Sciences Inc. manufactured an antiretroviral drug meant to reduce the growth and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but recently, it has been linked to certain side effects that can severely harm – or even ultimately kill – the user.

The worst part? Gilead knew about these side effects for years and still decided to sell the product anyway.

Users of the HIV drug, Truvada, are suing Gilead Sciences Inc. in an effort to secure the justice and compensation they need to get their lives back on track. If this resonates with what you have experienced, the Ohio Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm have the legal knowledge and resources to successfully litigate your claim.

Let us help you get your voice heard. Contact the Ohio Truvada lawsuit lawyers of Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 to set up your FREE legal consultation. Together we can make Gilead pay for the pain they have caused you.

The Harm Truvada Causes

While the TDF component in Truvada stops the replication of HIV-infected cells by slowing the activity of the reverse transcriptase hormone, it comes at a cost. TDF has been linked to the development of multiple conditions that can decrease the user’s quality of life.

Despite these dangers, Gilead still generates around $11 billion in Truvada sales a year.

Truvada’s success as a medicine can be attributed to the excessive amounts of TDF required to reduce the growth of HIV. But this ingredient isn’t exclusive to Truvada. Other name brands that contain TDF include:

• Atripla
• Cimduo
• Complera
• Genvoya
• Stribild
• Viread

Studies show that TDF plays a role in the loss of calcium and other minerals that make bones strong. With calcium flushed out of the body through the kidneys, users of Truvada have begun to experience:

• 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

This has ultimately lead to around 6,000 Truvada users suffering from broken bones because of the drug. But that’s not where the damage that Truvada causes ends. The excess TDF that required to treat the spread and growth of HIV has to exit the body somehow, and this excess has been shown to cause kidneys to malfunction.

After consistent use, it is not uncommon for users of Truvada to also develop:

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

Complications with the kidneys can be made worse if the user is already suffering from preexisting kidney conditions. As if that wasn’t enough, TDF may also cause lactic acidosis, a condition where the body, essentially, becomes more acidic. This particular condition can cause muscle aches, burning sensations, stomach cramps, nausea, rapid breathing, and even death.

Overview of Ohio HIV Statistics and

In 2016, around 21,258 individuals in Ohio were living with HIV, which resulted in a rate of 218 people living with HIV per 100,000. Out of this amount:

• 9 percent were African-American
• 3 percent were Hispanic/Latinx
• 6 percent were White

Moreover, 79.3 percent of this base identified as male while 20.7 percent were female. In 2016, the virus would claim the lives of approximately 334 people, which is a rate of 3 deaths due to HIV per 100,000 people.

The counties most affected in the state of Ohio include:

• Cuyahoga County – In 2016, a rate of 424 people were living with HIV per 100,000 Ohioans.
• Franklin County – In 2016, a rate of 444 people were living with HIV per 100,000 Ohioans.
• Hamilton County – In 2016, 413 people were living with HIV per 100,000 Ohioans.

In 2017, around 1,020 new diagnoses were made, which was a rate of 10 new cases out of every 100,000 people. These new diagnoses may have stemmed from multiple transmission methods.

In men, the following were the most prevalent forms of transmission in 2016:

• Male-to-Male Sexual Contact (82.3 percent)
• Male-to-Male Sexual Contact and Injection Use (6.5 percent)
• Heterosexual Contact (6.2 percent)
• Injection Drug Use (4.2 percent)
• Other (0.8 percent)

In women, it was found that the main methods of HIV transmission were through:

• Heterosexual Contact (80.5 percent)
• Injection Drug Use (16.8 percent)
• Other (2.7 percent)

The Lawsuit That Started It All

Currently, Gilead is under legal heat as two individuals from California have filed lawsuits against the company.

But this isn’t the first time that Gilead has been under legal scrutiny.

In the past, Gilead was sued for their participation in paying off doctors to sell their products, enlisting people to write prescriptions for their HIV and hepatitis medications, and for sourcing ingredients from unapproved sources in China.

This recent lawsuit alleges Gilead withheld a safer alternative to their TDF-based product in order to secure their patent on drugs like Truvada. This would allow them to sell the product at exorbitant prices and then to sell the safer alternative as a new formula once their patent ran out.

It is also alleged that Gilead knew about the bone and kidney complications that their TDF-based medicines were capable of causing, but sold the product regardless.

To add context, right around the time that Gilead manufactured their TDF-based medications, they had manufactured another medicinal component, tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF). This component accomplished the same effects as TDF but at smaller, safer doses.

Sadly, the company decided to shelve production of TAF-based medicines to make a profit off of its TDF counterpart first.

The personal injury lawsuits filed by these two individuals were accompanied by an additional class-action lawsuit in California.

It is imperative to come forward with your story if you have been affected by Truvada. Lawsuits do a lot more than just help you secure the compensation needed to cover damages suffered. Lawsuits also send a message to corporate America that this kind of behavior will be met with fierce consequences.

If you or someone you love have been negatively affected by bone or kidney-related injuries as a result of using Truvada, know that there is still hope. The Ohio Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm want to help you fight back and earn the compensation you are owed.

Contact us at (314) 310-7924 to schedule your FREE legal consultation today.