Tasignas Black Box Warning Links The Drug To Atherosclerosis

Patients taking Tasigna should be constantly aware of the drug's potential to cause atherosclerosis and to watch for the signs they are developing the disease

Friday, December 15, 2017 - If you have Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and have been treated with the drug Tasigna, you may develop atherosclerosis, a thickening, and hardening of the arteries leading to the arms, legs and vital internal organs like the brain and heart. If you are taking Tasigna for chemotherapy, your life could be in danger. Cancer patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) are at risk of developing atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease, the life-threatening side effect of receiving Tasigna for chemotherapy. A person that receives Tasigna instead of other types of chemotherapy is five times more likely to develop the disease. Atherosclerosis develops when fatty plaque builds up within a major artery, narrowing the passageway and reducing the volume of life-giving blood and nutrients that make it to the cells in the arms, legs, brain, and heart.

The physical signs to watch for that indicate atherosclerosis or peripheral artery disease are numbness, coldness, and tingling in the thighs, calves, feet, and toes, as well as muscle cramps and leg pain when walking up stairs. Signs that the disease is in its more advanced stages are yellowing of the skin or toenails, tissue death, and necrosis. When necrosis occurs the appendage is usually amputated.

Tasigna now comes with a black box warning label that states, "QT Prolongation and Sudden Death, prolonged QT, and sudden death reported; do not use if long QT syndrome; avoid drugs that prolong QT interval and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors; avoid food 2h before and 1h after taking dose; decrease dose if hepatic impairment; correct hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia prior to tx and monitor periodically; obtain ECG to monitor QTc at baseline, then 7 days after tx start, after dose adjustment, and periodically." This is the sternest of all drug warnings and is reserved for drugs that can cause death. Cancer oncologists are now warned that they must screen potential Tasigna patients for heart disease and monitor them on a regular basis. Tasigna elongates part of the heart's rhythm and sudden deaths from heart attack and paralysis from strokes have been reported. Signs of an impending heart attack from atherosclerosis are chest tightness and pain, and shortness of breath.

Patients that have developed atherosclerosis or PAD and have taken Tasigna are suing Novartis AG maker of Tasigna alleging that the company knew as early as 2011 that sudden deaths had been reported. In 2013 Canada's health department, Health Canada, and Novartis issued a warning to Canadian health professionals warning them of the link between Tasigna and heart attacks and strokes and that they should closely screen and monitor their patients. Such a warning never made it to the multi-billion dollar cancer chemotherapy market in the United States and thousands of patients were treated without being made aware of the drug's potential side effect of sudden death.

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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.