Allegations brought forward in a recent product liability lawsuit call out Gilead Sciences, Inc. for the dangerous side effects of their tenofovir-based HIV drugs, which include Truvada, Stribild, and Viread. Numerous lawsuits from across the U.S. allege tenofovir HIV drugs cause users to experience severe side effects, including kidney and bone injuries.
Last week a group of 20 plaintiffs joined to filed complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claiming each of them suffered from injuries caused by Gilead’s tenofovir-based HIV drugs. Each of the plaintiffs seek compensation for the complications for drugs that Gilead allegedly knew were “toxic to patients’ kidneys and bones.”
Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is an active ingredient included in some of the most popular HIV drugs on the market. For example, Truvada, an HIV drug developed by Gilead Sciences, is a mixture of emtricitabine and TDF.
However, recent lawsuits claim TDF is too toxic for patients, doing more harm than good. Across the country, individuals say TDF drugs like Truvada and Stribild caused severe injuries including osteoporosis, renal failure, bone density loss, and acute kidney injury.
“Gilead failed to include any warning about the need to monitor bone effects until October 14, 2003, and that warning was limited to patients with certain risk factors,” the lawsuit states. “Since then, Gilead has only suggested that doctors monitor, and only informs patients that monitoring may be necessary, for patients with certain risk factors for bone adverse effects.”
Gilead Sciences holds the market as the only developer of TDF-based drugs used for the treatment of HIV and PrEP. Gildead’s PrEP treatment drug Truvada was approved by the FDA in 2004 and accumulates billions of dollars annually in sales.
However, Truvada lawsuits and TDF injury claims say Gilead knew TDF was too toxic and dangerous for patients. Allegedly, Gilead could have used a less toxic option, tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) years after TDF drugs were released to the market and failed to do so. Plaintiffs claim Gilead withheld from marketing TAF drugs to increase company profits until the patents on TDF drugs expired.
Gilead Sciences now faces lawsuits across the nation for drug toxicity but unlawful marketing practices. If you or a loved one took Truvada or another TDF drug and experienced serious side effects, you may be entitled to legal compensation. Contact AVA Law Group today for your free, no-obligation case evaluation to see if you may be entitled to a cash award for your Truvada injuries.