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Truvada Lawsuit

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Truvada Bone Loss & Kidney Failure Lawsuit

Does the antiretroviral medication Truvada cause bone loss and kidney damage? Truvada has been linked to kidney disease and significant bone loss. Individuals taking Truvada as treatment or PrEP for HIV have experienced damaging side effects.

Several Truvada lawsuits are now open against the pharmaceutical company Gilead. Pending litigation brings to light the difficult experiences of hundreds of patients and multiple allegations against Gilead.

Beyond exposing Truvada’s possible design defects, lawsuits raise profound questions into the ethics of Gilead’s business practices, seeking to demonstrate that the company knew about the potential harms its drug could cause and, yet, intentionally delayed the manufacture of a safer drug in order to boost profit.

While claiming to prevent disease, Gilead did not adequately warn Truvada users of the possible illness and injury taking the medication could cause to their bodies.

Compensation from such lawsuits may help alleviate the financial burdens of illness victims suffer and push Gilead to enact less potentially harmful practices.

Have you or someone you love been diagnosed with bone loss or kidney failure? Have you taken Truvada to prevent or treat HIV? You may be eligible to file a Truvada side effect lawsuit.

If you or a loved one suffered kidney problems or issues with broken bones after taking Gilead Sciences, Inc.’s Truvada, then you may be entitled to compensation. The dangerous drug lawyers at Cutter Law P.C. are always standing by to represent you and your interests in a court of law.

Contact Cutter Law P.C. or fill out a free case evaluation form to Contact our Truvada lawsuit attorneys for a no-obligation consultation today.

What is Truvada used for?

Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) is pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a drug used to prevent HIV. It is also prescribed in treatment. Individuals who take Truvada for PrEP need to be HIV negative and take dosages regularly for the drug to be effective. 

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) has been on the market as an antiretroviral to treat HIV since the 1980s. Only administered intravenously, the drug had limited usage until the early 2000s. Gilead Sciences, Inc. purchased rights to sell TDF, produced a pill version that could be taken orally, and, after US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, it went into pharmacies in 2001 under the name Viread. In 2004 FDA Truvada approval passed.

What does Truvada do to your body?

While Truvada medication may prove effective in the prevention of HIV through sexual contact, as well as a treatment tool, taking the medication has been shown to cause several long-term, debilitating illnesses. Research since the late 1990s has indicated harmful side effects from TDF usage.

2001, the same year that Gilead introduced a pill-form TDF medication to patients, saw the first documented case of kidney toxicity resulting from the drug’s use. Since then, many individuals have suffered from kidney failure and bone loss while taking TDF drugs like Truvada. PrEP side effects and Truvada HIV treatment side effects seem to align. 

Does Truvada cause bone and kidney damage?

While many Truvada side effects are well known by physicians prescribing the drug, recent evidence shows a causal relationship between Truvada and both osteoporosis (weakening of the bones) and serious kidney problems.

If you have concerns about your health due to Truvada prescriptions, talk with your doctor about diagnostic tests. Kidney disease can be diagnosed by way of blood or urine test, imaging, or biopsies. The first step in diagnosing bone loss is usually a DEXA scan, a dual-energy x-ray that measures bone loss.

Are there long-term side effects of Truvada?

Research indicates several diagnoses of kidney and bone damage that patients who take have suffered.

What are Truvada kidney side effects?

As mentioned above, there are strong links between Truvada and kidney problems like chronic kidney disease, acute renal failure, low kidney function, and even death due to kidney failure. Truvada has poor bioavailability, which inhibits drug absorption efficiency and can result in kidney injury. Some of the reported kidney problems caused by the drug include:

  • Kidney or renal disease: kidney damage prevents proper blood filtration. This increases the risk for stroke and heart attacks.
  • Kidney failure: (also known as renal failure) a drop below 10-15% of normal kidney capacity. This generally results in a need for transplant and/or dialysis.
  • Kidney disease (also known as total kidney failure): to survive, patients require a transplant and/or dialysis.
  • Fanconi Syndrome: impaired kidney tubule function affects the urine’s chemical makeup. Abnormalities include proteinuria, abnormal protein levels in the urine. Fanconi Syndrome can lead to kidney damage and bone loss.
  • Abnormal protein levels in the urine
  • Red Cell Carcinoma
  • Abnormal glomerular filtration rate (GFR): levels are determined by tests and blood work.
  • High creatinine levels: levels are determined by tests and blood work

What are Truvada bone side effects?

Taking Truvada, even for a short period of time, seems to cause bone density loss. There is also a strong link between broken bones and Truvada, and current cases against Gilead include individuals who have suffered multiple fractures, hip replacements and become wheelchair-bound. Some of the reported bone problems caused by the drug include:

  • Osteopenia: weakened bone mineral density (this includes teeth), which, if untreated, can result in breaks and fractures
  • Osteoporosis: bones become porous (filled with tiny holes like a sponge) and brittle. The pores cause weakening of the bones can result in fractures under normal strain and force
  • Osteomalacia: bones break down more quickly than they can re-form
  • Bone density loss, bone demineralization, and weakening of the bones or other healthcare provider
  • Bone fractures
  • Broken bones

Are there lawsuits against Truvada?

Yes. Hundreds of Truvada lawsuits have been filed and are pending against Gilead. In California, these include a Truvada class action lawsuit. Truvada bone loss and kidney failure claims continue to be filed by victims.

HIV medication lawsuits allege various claims against Gilead:

Gilead Sciences, Inc. had developed a safer drug than TDF. The company willfully kept the new medication off the market. Still, it kept it from the market until the TDF patent was close to expiration, thus enhancing profit at the cost of patient safety and health.

The safer drug, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), Gilead now markets under names such as Descovy, Genvoya, and Odefsey.

Gilead knew of Truvada’s design defects that can cause destructive side effects.

  • Gilead failed to adequately warn doctors and patients of the risk and Truvada side effects.

What medications may be included in litigation?

Several TDF medications are subject to litigation. While Gilead withheld lower-risk drugs, pending lawsuits demonstrate that the company allowed several other TDF medications onto the market, such as Atripla and Viread. Medicine names include:

  • Truvada: medication for treatment as well as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV-negative people
  • Atripla: medication for infection treatment only, not prevention. It is also sold as Efavirenz.
  • Complera: medication for treatment only, not prevention. It is also sold as Rilpivirine.
  • Stribild: medication for treatment only, not prevention. It is also sold as Elvitegravir, Cobicistat, and Emtricitabine.
  • Viread: medication for Hepatitis B treatment, in addition to HIV. It is also sold as Tenofovir DF.

It is also worth noting that evidence indicates that, as Gilead pushed drugs like Viread and Atripla, generic versions of the TDF medications were held back. Such actions, again, the privilege of Gilead’s bottom line over the wellbeing of patients.

Like Truvada, Atripla side effects can include kidney injury and bone loss. In pushing Atripla, Gilead did not provide adequate information on how the drug might harm those using Atripla.

Lawsuits may be a method to gain compensation for injury caused by using Atripla. Lawsuit settlements can cover a range of damages for those who bring an Atripla lawsuit.

Payouts also discourage Gilead from pursuing business practices that hurt patients. Atripla class action lawsuits are not currently being filed, as patient experience is so unique, but many individualized claims against Gilead TDF medicines are pending.

For those harmed by any TDF drug, like Atripal or Viread, lawsuits can be filed. It is important to understand that evidence indicates that Gilead knew, but failed to disclose adequately, the devastating impact their TDF medications could have.

No matter the name, from Atripla to Truvada to Viread, side effects can include kidney failure and shocking bone deterioration. For those experiencing terrible outcomes of taking medicine like Viread, attorneys can provide guidance in filing claims against the manufacturer of Viread, Gilead.

If you or a loved one have been harmed by one of these medications, such as Viread, lawyers are ready to help.

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What settlements or compensation can Truvada victims expect?

Truvada victims stand to recover both compensatory and punitive damages. 

Successful Gilead lawsuits will demand that the company cover losses and setbacks, and Gilead Truvada lawsuit settlement amount may include:

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages and earnings
  • An inability to earn a living in the future
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of the family’s consortium
Truvada lawsuits pending against Gilead have also sought punitive damages to punish the makers of defectively advertised drugs for their egregious and dangerous conduct.
 

Is there a statute of limitations on filing a Truvada claim?

The demands of navigating illnesses such as bone loss and kidney failure can be time-consuming and exhausting. However, we encourage you to reach out about your Truvada bone loss or kidney failure lawsuit promptly. In many cases, there are time limitations imposed on filing a legal action.

As with other product liability lawsuits, there is a clear statute of limitations on filing a Truvada claim. In most states, you have two years after discovering the injury to file a product liability claim.

However, most people who have suffered broken bones or kidney problems due to taking Truvada (PrEP and treatment usage) fall within the statute of limitations. So, do not let time deter you from contacting our attorneys.

You may still be eligible to file a lawsuit against Truvada.

How do I find a lawyer for a Truvada bone or kidney failure lawsuit?

If you have any concerns about your health, please visit your doctor.  

Contact our Truvada lawyers today. Each of the Truvada liability lawyers at Cutter Law P.C. is here to represent you and your interests in a court of law. It is understandable to be wary of filing a claim against a large pharmaceutical company, like a Gilead lawsuit.

Truvada has harmed those seeking prevention and treatment, damaging lives, and these patients deserve compensation. That is why our attorneys are here to help. We will work with you through each step of the legal process and help you understand exactly what is happening throughout your case.

If you or a loved one suffered either bone loss or kidney failure while taking Truvada, then you likely have a Truvada claim and should contact our TDF liability lawyers for a no-obligation consultation.

Why rely on our Truvada lawyers?

Besides our caring, skilled team of legal professionals, we also have a stellar reputation in the courtroom. We have won millions of dollars for our clients across our many areas of practice. We have also won several awards for our legal prowess over the years. If you or a loved one suffered broken bones or kidney problems after taking their Truvada prescription, you have come to the right place.

Contact our Truvada liability lawyers for a no-obligation consultation today. We want to help you get started on your claim.

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