Children With Cancer May Now Start Taking Tasigna

The US FDA must have overlooked that Tasigna has been shown to produce irreversible atherosclerosis in an unacceptably high number of patients

Thursday, January 31, 2019 - The US Food and Drug Administration FDA is singing the praises of Tasigna for its effectiveness in treating patients with leukemia, a rare form of cancer. A cancer patient often goes into remission from the disease when given Tasigna and now the drug's labeling can reflect the fact that unlike any other cancer drug, certain patients in remission may be able to stop taking the drug when so advised by their oncologist. Even further, Tasigna has been approved recently by the FDA for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia in children. The question I ask is why hasn't the US FDA been as enthusiastic as the Canadian health ministry to warn patients that Tasigna also causes irreversible heart disease?

Cancer patients that have been taking the chemotherapy drug Tasigna often develop atherosclerosis, a blood and heart disease some say is worst than cancer the drug is meant to treat. It is difficult to measure the exact percentage of Tasigna patients that develop atherosclerosis but experts believe the number could be anywhere from 8-12%. Atherosclerosis is rarely traced back to Tasigna because there is no reason to initially suspect the drug as having such devastating side effects. US health care providers have been largely kept in the dark regarding Tasigna's atherosclerosis connection, unlike the clear warning the Canadian government provided its citizens. US cancer professionals may not even be aware of the linkage. Tasigna cancer patients usually assume that their cancer and the subsequent blood artery problems they develop are two separate instances and their oncologist is all too eager to confirm that one has nothing to do with the other. There is ample evidence, however, that Tasigna causes the inner walls of the major arteries to become chafed causing the fatty portion of a person's blood to stick to them, accumulate, and narrow the blood's passageway. Tasigna atherosclerosis lawyers represent persons and families harmed by Tasigna.

Atherosclerosis has been described as a disease that takes many years to develop and affects mostly older individuals. A high animal fat diet has also been linked to atherosclerosis. With atherosclerosis, the arteries become clogged by the buildup of fatty tissue called plaque, making the arteries narrow and less flexible reducing blood flow. Atherosclerosis victims also are at a heightened risk for heart attacks and strokes since physical exertion can increase blood pressure that in turn can dislodge a chunk of plaque that can block the smaller arteries leading to the brain and heart respectively. Patients with atherosclerosis experience extreme weakness and tiredness that can alert them that not enough nutrient-rich blood is circulating throughout their system and that their blood pressure is too high.

If you think I am being too paranoid about Tasigna causing deadly atherosclerosis, consider the warnings that were given to Canadian health officials and the Canadian public regarding the link between atherosclerosis and Tasigna. On April 12, 2013, Health Canada issued an emergency health alert to the country's citizens entitled "TASIGNA (nilotinib) - Possible Risk of Developing Atherosclerosis." The warning added, "Cases of atherosclerosis-related conditions have been reported during clinical trials and post-marketing experience with the use of TASIGNA." In this official public communication, the agency endorsed the update of important safety information regarding Tasigna. Canadian doctors were advised to check a potential Tasigna patient's cholesterol and blood sugar levels before commencing Tasigna. Years later in 2016 when the US FDA was alerted of the Tasigna atherosclerosis link, Novartis was urged to update their product warning to include having US doctors screen patients using an electrocardiogram as well as the above blood tests.

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OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.