Los Angeles Truvada Attorneys

It is thought that pharmaceutical companies use their revenue to innovate new wonder drugs to cure life-threatening diseases and infections in the people that need it the most. Well, at least that is what we were told. One pharmaceutical company in particular, however, is not that kind of shining example.

In 2001, Gilead Sciences Inc. manufactured Truvada to help combat the increase in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but the company allegedly did a lot of underhanded dealings to ensure that it makes a profit, even at the cost of their consumers’ health. 

The active ingredient in Truvada—tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)—has recently been linked to bone and kidney complications that Gilead failed to inform the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its consumers about. As a result, the Los Angeles Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm want to bring their victims justice in the civil court.

Contact Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 to set up your FREE legal consultation with our best Los Angeles Truvada lawsuit lawyers today.

What To Do If You Have Suffered Serious Side Effects Due To Truvada Use

If you suspect that your Truvada use has caused you pain or discomfort in your bones or kidneys, it is imperative that you visit your doctor as soon as possible. There, your doctor can run specific tests geared at detecting the severity of your potential injuries and create a treatment plan. A visit to the hospital is more than just for treatment, however.

Hospital bills and records can prove that you sustained urinary and/or skeletal system injuries caused by the TDF in Truvada, and they are solid pieces of evidence to submit should you decide to file a product liability claim with an experienced attorney.

Once the hospital has released you, it is best to seek out qualified legal representation from Onder Law Firm. Don’t hesitate. The statute of limitations in California is two years from when the injury was discovered. Failure to file during that time limit may forfeit your claim. Filing early also helps your lawyer secure strong pieces of fresh evidence that can help you win your product liability claim.

With the experienced gained at our nationally-recognized law firm, fighting Gilead comes as second nature. We have won over $3 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients who have suffered in past product liability cases, and we are eager to help you win the compensation you need from your Truvada lawsuit.

The Damage Dealt By Truvada

Truvada works by delivering excessive amounts of TDF to an enzyme that aids in the replication of HIV-infected cells. While this drug does much to reduce the growth and spread of HIV, it leaves users wracked in pain from side effects caused by the drug.

One such side effect that excessive TDF causes affects the user’s bones, draining calcium and other relevant minerals that keep them strong. This loss of bone density leaves bones brittle, and in time bone fractures can occur. In fact, Truvada has caused nearly 6,000 bone fractures in its users. Other bone complications cause by TDF include:

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

Tenofovir DF also causes an overproduction of serum creatinine, which is the first sign of chronic kidney disease. As more TDF is passed on to the kidneys, more kidney complications manifest such as:

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

This can be problematic for users of Truvada that already have preexisting bone and kidney conditions, but the health complications don’t stop there. Truvada is also known to cause liver injury and an overproduction of lactic acid—also known as lactic acidosis—that can leave users experiencing muscle aches, burning sensations, stomach cramps, nausea, and rapid breathing, and if left untreated, this acidic condition can even kill.

You can fight back. Contact the Los Angeles Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm for your FREE legal consultation today.

Gilead’s Current Legal Troubles

Gilead Sciences Inc. has been in operation since 1987, and since then, the company has not been a stranger to the civil court.

In a past lawsuit, Gilead was accused of funneling kickbacks to pay for doctors’ salaries, laboratory upgrades, medical center software upgrades, and personnel to facilitate writing prescriptions for all of their HIV and Hepatitis B medications. In another, Gilead was accused of sourcing an active ingredient from an unapproved Chinese vendor, a move that would bring in contaminated product.

It is safe to say that Gilead has done what the company can to protect its profits, and the most recent set of lawsuits confirms just that. Two men filed personal injury claims in California early this year claiming that Gilead had purposefully withheld a much safer alternative to their TDF medications known as tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF).

This safer alternative was manufactured, the claim states, around the same time that TDF medications were in 2001. Tenofovir AF medications are usually taken in smaller doses, making them safer than Truvada and other TDF-based medicines. In order to maximize profits, Gilead would secure its patent on TDF medications until 2015, selling this toxic medication knowing full well of the harm it was capable of inflicting.

After 2015, the company planned on marketing their TAF-based medicines as a new and improved formula, raking in more revenue after leaving millions of their consumers with failing kidneys and brittle bone structures.

Now, a class action lawsuit was also filed in California by the two gentlemen, recruiting any other individuals that have suffered needlessly because of Gilead’s greed. While this sends out a resounding message to pharmaceutical companies across the nation, it does little at retrieving the full monetary compensation that you deserve.

That’s why hiring an experienced Los Angeles Truvada lawsuit attorney from Onder Law Firm is your best shot at getting your voice heard and winning the compensation you need to cover expenses you incurred through no fault of your own.

Overview of Los Angeles HIV Statistics

Identifying the most at risk groups of people through specific data from the Los Angeles Public Department of Health helps us determine who the potential users of Truvada are. Our hope is to reach out to these individuals living with HIV since they have the highest risk of being affected by the negative side effects caused by the TDF in Truvada.

Out of the 4 million individuals that reside within Los Angeles, approximately 51,500 of them are living with HIV as of 2017. Out of this large portion of Los Angeles residents:

• 20 percent are African American
• 44 percent are Hispanic/Latinx
• 29 percent are Caucasian
• 2 percent are Asian/Pacific Islander

In Los Angeles, 89 percent of those living with HIV are male, while females living with the virus make up the remaining 11 percent. Men who have sex with other men (MSM) are the most at risk demographic for contracting the virus, which is around 88 percent of all people living with HIV. This virus also affects those between the ages of 50 to 59 the most.

If you have friends or family living with HIV within the top four service planning areas (SPAs) and are taking HIV drugs like Truvada, let them know about the dangers that the drug can pose to their bones and kidneys.

• South is home to 12 percent of individuals living with HIV.
• San Fernando is where 14 percent of individuals living with HIV call home.
• South Bay has 15 percent of individuals living with HIV residing here.
• Lastly, the Metropolitan area houses 36 percent of people living with HIV.

Twenty-sixteen saw a total of 1,949 new diagnoses of HIV, the largest demographic affected being Latinx MSM members. Ultimately, HIV would claim the lives of 568 Angelenos in 2016, most of which were Caucasian males between the ages of 50 to 59.

To combat the spread and growth of the virus, 1,246 Angelenos started taking Truvada by the end of 2016, a 24-fold increase from the 33 that started in 2013. While taking control of HIV should be a celebrated event, what Gilead did in order to secure their profits harmed those that trusted them.

Legal experience you can count on. Don’t let Gilead get away with deceiving you. Contact the Los Angeles Truvada lawsuit attorneys of Onder Law Firm at (314) 310-7924 to set up your FREE legal consultation today.