Oregon Truvada Lawsuit Attorneys

In Oregon, approximately 6,749 individuals are living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as of 2016. Around 1,592 of them have been prescribed HIV medications like Truvada to help control the growth and spread of the virus. Little did they know by taking this kind of medication, however, that they would be putting their health at risk.

HIV and Hepatitis B medications containing an active ingredient called tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) have recently been linked to the development of certain chronic bone and kidney diseases in its users. While users of drugs like Truvada may not have known about the side effects they would endure by taking the medication, its manufacturer, Gilead Sciences Inc., knew and sold the product anyway.

The Oregon Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm want to bring those that have been betrayed by the pharmaceutical company justice. Thousands of people around the nation are looking for experienced product liability attorneys, and it is our duty to provide unmatched representation to them in their fight for what is rightfully theirs.

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

A History of Litigation

Gilead Sciences Inc. is no stranger to the litigation process. Over the last 30 years, the company has been the target of multiple lawsuits alleging its participation in:

• Funneling kickbacks to essentially bribe doctors and medical personnel to sell their HIV and Hepatitis B medications.
• Acquiring contaminated ingredients for their medications from an unapproved source in China.
• Concealing information about the unapproved source from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

And now, two gentlemen who used Truvada and developed negative side effects have come forward to file personal injury lawsuits against Gilead, stating that the company purposefully withheld a safer alternative to their TDF-based medications in order to keep their patent of the drug and charge high prices for it.

The safer alternative that Gilead allegedly withheld began its manufacturing process around the same time as tenofovir DF. Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) works just as effective at controlling the growth and spread of HIV in those living with the virus. The difference between the two, however, is that TAF is taken in much smaller, safer doses, where Truvada and other TDF-based medications have excessive amounts of TDF that cause complications within the body.

TAF-based medicines where subsequently shelved so that Gilead Sciences Inc. could sell their TDF-based medications until the patent expired in 2015, then begin to market TAF-based medicines as a new and improved formula. This decision generated around $11 billion in Truvada sales annually for the company despite their knowledge of what the drug would do to their consumers.

Presently, the two gentlemen that filed these personal injury lawsuits have also filed a class action lawsuit to help others that have been affected by Gilead’s bad decisions. A class action lawsuit may be a good way to recruit lots of victims of product liability and send a reverberating message strongly encouraging pharmaceutical companies to refrain from such barbaric business practices, but it will undercut the value of what your case is worth should you join it.

With an experienced Oregon Truvada lawsuit attorney from Onder Law Firm, we fight for the maximum monetary compensation that is owed to you with a ferocity and dedication that you won’t see from any other law firm.

Let our Oregon Truvada lawsuit attorneys fight Gilead on your behalf for the compensation you deserve. Contact Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 to set up your FREE legal consultation today.

Overview of Oregon HIV Statistics

It is important to analyze the demographics of those living with HIV to determine who is at risk of developing debilitating side effects caused by Truvada use. Of the 6,749 individuals in Oregon who were living with HIV in 2016—a rate of 195 people living with the virus per 100,000—around:

• 6.9 percent were African-American
• 73.2 percent were Hispanic/Latinx
• 13.9 percent were White
• 87.8 percent were male
• 12.2 percent were female

That same year, some of the most affected counties within Oregon reflected rates of:

• Marion County – 151 individuals diagnosed with HIV per 100,000.
• Wasco County – 153 people diagnosed with HIV per 100,000.
• Clackamas County – 154 people living with the virus per 100,000.
• Washington County – 170 people had been living with HIV per 100,000.
• Clatsop County – 175 people were living with HIV per 100,000.
• Multnomah County – 461 individuals had lived with HIV per 100,000.

Approximately 95 people perished due to complications of HIV in 2016, a rate of 3 HIV-related deaths per 100,000. The following year, 198 new HIV cases were diagnosed, which is equivalent to a rate of 6 new diagnoses per 100,000 people.

For men, most of them contracted the virus from:

• Male-to-Male Sexual Contact (77.4 percent)
• Male-to-Male Sexual Contact and Injection Use (12.2 percent)
• Injection Drug Use (6.1 percent)
• Heterosexual Contact (3.4 percent)
• Other (0.9 percent)

Females, on the other hand, were found to be more likely to contract HIV from:

• Heterosexual Contact (70.1 percent)
• Injection Drug Use (26.9 percent)
• Other (3.0 percent)

Truvada’s Side Effects and Complications

How Truvada works to control the growth and spread of HIV is rather simple in theory. Excessive amounts of TDF is taken orally, where it then targets and reduces the activity of an enzyme—called reverse transcriptase—that aids in the replication of HIV-infected cells.

The problem with this, however, is that excessive amounts of TDF have been found to deplete bone of the vital minerals it needs to stay strong—namely calcium. As the bones lose more minerals—a process known as bone demineralization—the body has a hard time keeping up its restrengthening effort, causing bones to become brittle and susceptible to fractures. In time, other bone complications can manifest, such as:

• Discomfort in Extremities
• Decreased Bone Mineral Density
• Bone Deterioration or Osteoporosis
• Bone Loss or Osteopenia
• Dental Complications (e.g. Tooth Decay and Loss)

As the body flushes out excessive TDF—and the calcium that the bones are losing—the kidneys begin to overproduce serum creatinine, a strong indicator of early chronic kidney disease. Over time, this condition can cause complications like:

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

Those that take Truvada and also have preexisting bone and/or kidney complications have been reported to have experienced worsening symptoms that eventually lead to fractures and kidney failures.

Other reports have concluded that TDF can cause the body to overproduce lactic acid—a process called lactic acidosis. Typical symptoms of this condition are muscle aches, burning sensations, stomach cramps, nausea, and rapid breathing, and in extreme cases, someone suffering from lactic acidosis can die.

Oregon Product Liability

With a statute of limitations in Oregon product liability being two years from the date of when the injury occurred, you have plenty of time to file a claim. Filing early helps your attorney secure all poignant evidence and fully investigate how Truvada caused your injuries while all of that information is still fresh.

Once the evidence and professional testimonies from doctors and medical staff is secured, our experienced Oregon Truvada lawsuit attorneys must determine where your case falls into product liability law:

1. Defective Design – The defective product that caused your injury was made that way by design. Two standards must be considered under this category:
   1. Consumer Expectations Standard – Was the product more dangerous than what the consumer initially perceived?
   2. Risk-Utility Standard – Did the defective product have high risks of injury that could’ve been reduced or avoided by the construction of an alternative design?
2. Manufacturing Defect – The product that caused your injury was rendered defective during the design or manufacturing process. This claim in particular only focuses on the product itself, and not if the company acted maliciously or committed negligence.
3. Lack of Adequate Warning or Instructions – The product that caused your injury was dangerous (e.g. toxic substances, choking hazards, hot elements, or sharp edges) and lacked clear and visible instructions and warnings. Failure to provide this information means that the manufacture can be held liable.

An Oregon Truvada lawsuit lawyer of Onder Law Firm can navigate you through the complexities of product liability law in order to win the compensation you need to recover from costly medical bills, rehabilitative costs, and the pain and suffering you’ve endured through no fault of your own.

The time has come to bring Gilead Sciences Inc. to justice. Hiring the experienced Oregon Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm will get your voice heard and your and the compensation you need to properly recover from their deceit. Contact us at (314) 310-7924 to schedule your FREE, no-obligation consultation today.