Lawsuits Allege Novartis Was Aware of The Side Effects of Tasigna Yet Failed to Warn The American Public

A California lawsuit alleges Novartis AG was aware that Tasigna could be linked to atherosclerosis and related diseases years before the American public was so informed

Monday, October 9, 2017 - The surviving loved ones of Dainis Lauris, a California man who recently passed away as a result of complications from atherosclerosis, allege in a complaint filed in California's Eastern District, that Novartis AG, makers of the anti-cancer chemotherapy drug Tasigna, failed to warn cancer physicians in the United States, and the American public in general of the drug's potentially life-threatening side effects. Lauris had no prior history of heart disease that developed soon after treatment began with Tasigna. Unaware that atherosclerosis was a known side effect of Tasigna, Lauris continued with the drug thinking that the chest pains he began to suffer were just normal cramping. According to the Tasigna lawsuit, "Lauris was suffering from 100 percent blockage in his right femoral artery, and 90 percent blockage in the arteries behind both knees." It was not until Lauris�s oncologist read about the linkage between Tasigna and atherosclerosis in a physician's journal the doctors change treatments. Nonetheless, Lauris died soon after as a result of atherosclerosis. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be "the arterial blockage in Lauris�s legs and the narrowing of cerebral and coronary arteries." Plaintiffs claim that had they known the dangers of Tasigna in advance they would have been able to make the informed decision to remain on the safer alternative Gleevec.

Pharmacists Were Urged To Switch From Gleevec To Tasigna

At the urging of marketing executive for Novartis, American doctors were urged to switch chemotherapy drugs from Gleevec, a popular and relatively safe anti-cancer drug in which there was no reported link to heart disease, to the more potent drug Tasigna, both manufactured and marketed by Novartis. For years Novartis sales representatives knew that Tasigna could cause atherosclerosis yet did nothing to alert cancer physician. This was evident as Health Canada had issued a health warning to the Canadian medical community stating that Tasigna users were reporting atherosclerosis-related side effects in alarming numbers. American doctors at the time were lured to make the switch to the more expensive and profitable drug Tasigna using sales pressure, offering cash incentives, producing bogus drug education schemes, and outright bribery.

The lawsuit goes on to state that Novartis knew of atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease linkage as early as 2011 and for five years did nothing to alert the American public.

In April of 2013. Novartis issued a warning to Health Canada warning of these risks and urging health care professional to screen potential Tasigna patients for pre-existing heart conditions before prescribing the drug. The warning went on to say that any patients current taking Tasigna should be closely monitored with physical checkups and EKG to look for signs of atherosclerosis. The lawsuit alleges that warning was given to Canadian officials never made it to the American public before it was too late for many of them including Lauris.

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Lawyers for Tasigna Atherosclerosis Lawsuits

Attorneys handling Tasigna lawsuits for leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma offer free, no-obligation case review for individuals and families who believe they may have grounds to file a Tasigna lawsuit. Working on a contingency basis, these attorneys are committed to never charging legal fees unless they win compensation in your Tasigna lawsuit. The product liability litigators handling Roundup claims at the Onder Law Firm have a strong track record of success in representing families harmed by dangerous drugs and consumer products.