TRUVADA LAWSUIT
Houston Truvada Lawsuit Attorneys
If you received a diagnosis of HIV, you probably began immediately researching ways to remain healthy and active for as long as possible. Fortunately, in the past several decades, medical advances have produced several options for those who are HIV-positive and are at risk of contracting the virus. One of those is the medication, Truvada. Unfortunately, an ongoing Truvada lawsuit reveals the dangers of this popular drug.
Truvada has been the go-to drug for preventing HIV cells from multiplying and becoming AIDS. Perhaps you have taken it for this purpose or as a pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP drug.
While you may have thought Truvada was providing hope for a longer, healthier life, instead, you may now be dealing with serious side effects that Gilead, the drug manufacturer, allegedly hid from you and others dealing with the HIV virus.
The Houston, Texas defective drug lawyers at Reich & Binstock are here to help. Call us today at 713-622-7271 for a free consultation.
What Is Truvada?
To help manage HIV infection, Truvada is used with other HIV drugs. It aids in the reduction of HIV in the body, allowing the immune system to function more effectively.
This reduces the risk of HIV consequences (such as new infections and cancer) while also improving HIV victims’ quality of life.
What Is Truvada Used For?
The generic names for Truvada are tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and emtricitabine. It is one of several HIV drugs. Specifically, it is used as an HIV prevention drug. It is also used to treat hepatitis B virus infections.
Rarely, this drug is even prescribed to non-HIV patients. This is done to prevent HIV infection through the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP drugs. Unfortunately, drug manufacturer Gilead Sciences has found itself in legal trouble over Truvada. Many users have filed dangerous drug claims about the medication. If you believe you have a Truvada case, contact a Truvada lawsuit attorney with our Houston personal injury lawyers today.
How Does Truvada Work?
Emtricitabine and tenofovir are the two medicines that make up this product. A nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor is emtricitabine, whereas a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor is tenofovir. They’re referred to as NRTIs.
This medicine is also used to help patients who are at high risk of contracting HIV avoid being infected. Having an HIV-positive partner, having unprotected sex, having numerous sex partners, infection with a sexually transmitted disease-STD, or drug or alcohol use/abuse are all factors that raise the risk for infection.
To put it simply, TDF drugs engage in HIV prevention by blocking the virus’s infection pathways. An HIV drug aims to keep a constant presence of medication in your body, which can help to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from establishing itself in your body. However, it is not 100% effective. Therefore, practicing safe sex is still a must.
What Are the Dangers of Truvada?
Truvada, as with nearly every other drug, has side effects associated with its use. According to the CDC, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, insomnia, back discomfort, and a change in the color of the skin on your palms and soles of your feet are all possible side effects.
Tell your doctor right away if any of these side effects continue or worsen.
This drug can cause serious (and occasionally deadly) liver and blood issues in certain people. If you experience signs of liver disease (such as nausea or vomiting that won’t stop, lack of appetite, stomach/abdominal discomfort, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine), or lactic acidosis (such as sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, or unusual weakness), call your doctor immediately.
Whether you have used Truvada as a PrEP drug to reduce your risk of infection or as a way of minimizing the chances that your HIV would develop into AIDS, you likely took the pill every day as the manufacturer recommended.
Unfortunately, the necessary dosage of Truvada may have placed you at risk of a buildup of toxicity in your body. If you have experienced kidney injuries or bone problems as a result of TDF drugs, we recommend speaking with our Truvada lawyers. We are standing by to hold the drug company Gilead Sciences accountable for its failure to warn patients over a desire to maximize profits.
Dangerous Truvada Side Effects
Some users of Truvada claim the following dangerous side effects are linked to their use of the drug:
- Broken and fractured bones resulting from a deterioration in their bone structure
- Osteoporosis
- Osteopenia, which is a weakening of the bones and is less serious than osteoporosis
- Kidney damage and failure from the stress of having to expel Truvada’s toxins from the body
- Lactic acidosis, which is a buildup of lactic acid in your bloodstream, leading to weakness, breathing issues, and nausea
Why Are There Lawsuits for Truvada?
Gilead neglected to notify consumers about the significant and potentially deadly dangers of Truvada, despite having a legal obligation to do so. Gilead also blocked a safer medication from the market for years because Truvada was more profitable, according to a Truvada lawsuit filed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Unfortunately, these companies frequently prioritize profits over the health and safety of their customers. They must be held accountable if this occurs.
Drug companies placing their own profits ahead of the well-being of patients is one of the more egregious examples of corporate greed. This applies especially since those taking a daily drug like Truvada may already have precarious health issues. If you or a loved one suffered any of the damaging side effects linked to Truvada, we recommend speaking with a pharmaceutical injury attorney at Reich & Binstock.
What Medications Are Subject to Litigation in the Truvada Lawsuit?
A Truvada lawsuit will allege that the pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, medication Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) causes renal issues and bone loss. Gilead allegedly suppressed a safer alternative, tenofovir alafenamide, or TAF, in order to maximize revenues from Truvada and other TDF-containing medicines, including Viread, Atripla, Complera, and Stribild, according to the lawsuits.
If you are unsure of whether your HIV treatment is subject to litigation, we recommend speaking with the Truvada lawsuit lawyers at Reich & Binstock. We offer a free legal consultation to those affected by dangerous tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) drugs or other HIV medications.
Truvada Injuries
Common and serious injuries associated with Truvada include kidney problems and bone density loss. Some of the more severe health risks associated with the two drugs in Truvada are kidney failure, chronic kidney disease, bone injuries, bone loss, Fanconi syndrome, and other bone problems.
The pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences failed to warn consumers of the potential health issues associated with their HIV drug. They also promoted their HIV drug Truvada over a safer drug in order to boost profits. Keeping dangerous drugs on the market in favor of profits is the basis of many different product liability lawsuit cases. Below, we outline more specific bone injuries and kidney damage resulting from TDF medications.
Truvada Kidney Problems
Kidney issues that stem as a result of taking Truvada include:
- Acute kidney injury or renal failure
- Chronic kidney disease or a decline in kidney function
- Fanconi’s syndrome, which is a disorder in which certain substances normally absorbed into the blood are discharged into the urine
- Kidney tubular dysfunction
- Kidney pain
Bone Density Loss
Issues pertaining to bone density loss that stem from taking Truvada include:
- Osteopenia, which is the beginning of the loss of bone mass and the weakening of the bones
- Osteoporosis, which is a bone disease that results in the body losing too much bone mass, making too little bone mass, or both
- Bone fractures
How Much Can You Get From a Truvada Lawsuit?
Settlements vary greatly from case to case, so the amount you may expect will be determined by the facts of your case. You may be able to recover both economic and non-economic losses.
Economic Damages
If you have rising medical costs and other expenses as a result of a disease that developed from using Truvada, you may be able to collect significant financial damages in a Truvada lawsuit. Economic damages should cover any expenditures incurred as a result of your disease or condition.
Economic damages from a Truvada lawsuit can include but aren’t limited to:
- Past, current, and future medical costs
- Past, current, and future lost income resulting from the injury
- Loss of earning capacity
- Household services
- Other injury-related out-of-pocket expenses
A plaintiff must also show their damages in order to receive compensation. Any future medical expenses, for example, will almost certainly require evidence from your doctor.
Non-Economic Damages
When a faulty medicine causes a serious injury or a life-altering medical condition, the victim may be entitled to considerable non-economic damages.
Non-economic damages from a Truvada lawsuit can include but aren’t limited to:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- The aggravation of previous or existing conditions
- Disability
- Quality of life reduction
- Other related non-economic damages
Money won’t make your suffering go away, but it can help you with other aspects of your life. For example, if even the most basic daily duties have become tough for you, you may pay someone to take care of them for you.
Truvada Lawsuit Update 2022
A huge number of individuals have filed cases against Gilead Sciences, Inc. since 2018, including one instance involving their medication Letairis. It ended in the manufacturer agreeing to a $97 million settlement. Despite this, there have been no Truvada cases settled to date. As these lawsuits make their way through the courts, this might shift in the future.
Because there is so much at risk for a pharmaceutical firm, dangerous drug cases can take years to resolve. Any legal action taken against a drug producer is usually fought, and the company may submit appeal after appeal.
Dangerous drug trials also need a substantial quantity of evidence against the defendants, and they frequently rely on expert witness testimony. As a result, a case against Truvada might take years to resolve.
Benefits of Hiring a Truvada Lawyer
Do you really need to work with Truvada attorneys while filing a Truvada lawsuit? While it isn’t a necessity, we highly recommend at least scheduling a free consultation to ensure you’re claim falls within the Truvada statute of limitations.
Below, we outline the benefits of hiring a Truvada lawsuit attorney.
- We will build a powerful and compelling case for you. This will help you recover compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and much more.
- In order to build your case, we will gather extensive evidence in the form of medical records, expert testimony, and other evidence.
- We will also focus on valuing your case properly. In other words, we add up the damages and losses you suffered from the TDF drugs. Filing a Truvada lawsuit takes immense preparation and research. Let our law firm handle the heavy lifting while you focus on recovery.
- Lastly, we litigate your Truvada lawsuits on your behalf and hold Gilead Science accountable for its actions. Their failure to offer a safer HIV drug for a whole decade led to unnecessarily dangerous drugs remaining on the market and causing harm.
Houston Defective Drug Attorneys for Truvada Lawsuit
For nearly 20 years, Gilead dominated the HIV market at the expense of patient well-being. Unlike Gilead, Reich & Binstock is committed to putting clients, patients, and people first. A Truvada lawsuit lawyer is here for you to hold Gilead Sciences accountable for your injuries. HIV treatments are very helpful for many people, but TDF medications could cause harm to patients.
If you believe that your kidney disease, kidney failure, kidney damage, or bone problems are related to a TDF drug, Reich & Binstock can help you find out. Please call our Houston office at 713-622-7271 to schedule your free consultation or to learn more information about the Truvada lawsuit. A Truvada lawyer with our Houston law firm is here to help.
There is a never a fee unless we recover on your behalf.
