The Estate of a California Man is Suing Novartis

The surviving family members allege in court that Novartis knew of the atherosclerosis risks Tasigna posed and failed to warn them

Monday, November 20, 2017 - Cancer patients taking the anti-cancer chemotherapy drug Tasigna, and the estates of those who have died, are suing Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis International AG. Tasigna lawsuits allege that the drug is responsible for causing their atherosclerosis.

The surviving family of Dainis Lauris filed a wrongful death lawsuit on March 22, 2016, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. alleging amongst other things that Novartis knew in 2011 that atherosclerosis was a side effect of taking Tasigna. The company failed to warn American health care physicians yet warned Canadian health official in 2013 of the atherosclerosis risks associated with Tasigna, clearly stating that patients should be closely monitored for signs of heart disease and blood abnormalities by administering EKG's and blood tests before, during and after Tasigna treatments. Novartis updated its product information sheets to warn of the risk of atherosclerosis and other related heart conditions.

The plaintiff never received such a warning and his survivors have said that had such a warning been given Lauris would not have switched drugs to Tasigna. Switching from Gleevec to Tasigna has been proven in a whistleblower lawsuit to be more of a market-saving maneuver by Novartis than due to any real benefit to the patient. Novartis may have been seeking to head off a loss of market share since Gleevec was going off patent in a few years and specialty pharmacies were incentivized to recommend a switch to Tasigna before cheaper, effective generic competition could take hold. According to www.nocalrecord.com, "The plaintiffs seek the following: compensation for all damages, all medical and incidental expenses, all funeral and burial expenses, interest, all legal fees and any other relief as the court deems just and proper. "

Lauris had been taking Gleevec, another Novartis anti-cancer drug without indications of heart disease but immediately developed atherosclerosis when the switch was made to Tasigna. In 2013 the patient was found to have "100 percent blockage in his right femoral artery, and 90 percent blockage in the arteries behind both knees." When his cancer physician read an article in a medical journal he was immediately taken off of Tasigna but died a short while later in March 2014.

Atherosclerosis is the build-up of plaque in the artery commonly called hardening of the arteries. When plaque builds up the blood passageway is narrowed restricting blood flow. As a result, a number of serious health problems can occur such as necrosis of the toes and feet requiring amputation, sudden paralysis from strokes, and sudden death from heart attack. Early warning signs of atherosclerosis such as tingling, numbness and coldness in the feet and legs, chest pain and grogginess should be taking seriously and if you are experiencing any of the above you should contact your physician immediately.

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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.