Products Liability
Tasigna is a medication used to treat certain types of leukemia. Tasigna lawsuits are legal claims against the drug’s manufacturer, Novartis, alleging that the drug caused serious side effects, including atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, and related conditions. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the arteries narrow and harden due to a buildup of plaque, which can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other serious health problems.
Plaintiffs in Tasigna lawsuits claim that Novartis knew or should have known about the risks associated with the drug but failed to adequately warn patients and doctors. As a result, patients who took Tasigna and suffered these side effects may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for their injuries.
What’s more is Tasigna lawsuits allege Novartis has intentionally concealed this dangerous side effect and many individuals who were prescribed Tasigna have suffered serious injury and even death as a result.
2023 Update: Novartis lost a motion to dismiss a Tasigna lawsuit in Florida in October 2022. Novartis sought an immediate appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The judge denied the right to appeal and the case will proceed.
2021 Update: A new study published this fall in the journal of Cardiology-Oncology identified a clear link between the use of Tasigna and vasospastic angina. This is yet another potentially dangerous side-effect linked to the low blood flow problems caused by Tasigna. Publication of this study came shortly after a new Tasigna “class-action” MDL was created in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida for the consolidated handling of the growing number of Tasigna lawsuits.
August 2021: On August 12, 2021, the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) ordered the creation of a Tasigna class action lawsuit (technically called multi-district litigation or MDL) for claims involving this therapy.
Individuals who have suffered vascular damage as a result of their use of Tasigna may be entitled to financial compensation. Tasigna patients have already filed lawsuits against Novartis and there is now a Tasigna lawsuit MDL class action lawsuit in Florida. So federal lawsuits are consolidated into an MDL.
About Tasigna
Tasigna (nilotinib) is a prescription drug that is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). CML is a type of cancer that originates in the bone marrow and enters the blood. CML accounts for about 15% of all adult leukemia cases.
Tasigna is a relatively new drug that was developed by Novartis and approved for use in the treatment of CML in 2007. Since its original release, Tasigna has become a very profitable drug for Novartis. Tasigna works by blocking certain proteins that cause leukemia cancer cells to grow. Tasigna comes in capsules or pills that are taken orally and range in dosage from 50 to 200 mg. Most patients take a twice-daily 300 mg dose of Tasigna.
Tasigna Linked to Atherosclerosis and Arterial Disease
Not long after Tasigna was first released in 2007, adverse incident reports and other evidence began to appear indicating that the drug could be causing serious cardiovascular problems in some patients. In 2011, the results of several studies reported that the use of Tasigna was causing some patients to develop accelerated atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the arteries delivering blood from the heart become hardened and narrow. Normally, atherosclerosis is something that can develop gradually over time as a person gets older. However, the use of Tasigna was causing certain patients to develop atherosclerosis within a few months. Atherosclerosis can be very dangerous as it can result in serious cardiac and vascular events such as heart attack, or peripheral arterial disease.
The evidence linking Tasigna to rapid atherosclerosis prompted Canadian health authorities to issue a public warning about the risks of Tasigna.
In response, Novartis amended its Canadian prescribing information to include a warning that Tasigna can cause rapidly evolving vascular disease. Novartis deliberately chose not to add this warning to the prescribing information label for Tasigna in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. drug label for Tasigna still does not contain any information about the risk of atherosclerosis.
The medical literature suggests a strong probability that Tasigna is linked to atherosclerotic-related events, including stroke. While many patients taking Tasigna are at a higher risk for atherosclerosis, the connection in many cases will be obvious because the medical literature describes an association between Tasigna and a rare form of accelerated atherosclerosis.
This is important. Atherosclerosis generally develops over an extended time, taking years to become an acute risk. Rapid progression or sudden aggravation of atherosclerosis is uncommon. Tasigna-induced atherosclerosis often develops much more quickly, giving doctors less time to diagnose and combat the condition.
Tasigna Lawsuits Against Novartis
A growing number of people who developed rapid atherosclerosis from using Tasigna and suffered serious injuries have filed lawsuits against Novartis. The lawsuits allege that Novartis knew as early as 2010 (and probably earlier) that Tasigna caused accelerated atherosclerosis and related conditions. Novartis knowingly and intentionally failed to warn about these risks in the U.S. to protect its financial interests.
Specifically, plaintiffs’ lawyers will contend that Navartis did warn Canadian doctors and patients of the harm of cardiac injuries but did not offer the same warning in the United States. Ultimately, this is the crux of what the Tasigna lawsuit is about.
Victims’ lawyers will not argue at trial that there should have been a recall. Everyone gets that this is a life-saving therapy. Some studies show that Tasigna is a better drug for fighting cancer than some of its competitors. But patients, particularly vulnerable cancer patients, have the right to know the risks and benefits of the drug they are taking. (Can anyone disagree?)
One of the very first Tasigna lawsuits against Novartis was a wrongful death case filed back in 2016. That case was eventually resolved in a confidential settlement and this led to a number of new Tasigna cases being filed across the country. To date, over 150 individual plaintiffs have filed Tasigna lawsuits. Most of these cases have been filed in New Jersey state courts.
A Tasigna class-action MDL is consolidated in Florida. The hope is for a settlement in the Tasigna lawsuits Novartis after discovery is completed in these cases. As of December 15, 2022, only 33 Tasigna lawsuits were pending in the MDL.
What Are the Expected Settlement Amounts for Tasigna Lawsuits
It is early in the Tasigna class action lawsuits and it is difficult to estimate what the average settlement compensation might be in this litigation.
Certainly, the injuries are serious. The plaque from atherosclerosis is sometimes what victims will need to deal with for the rest of their lives. But the injuries will vary wildly from cardiac disease to death. Our lawyers are usually quick to estimate average settlement amounts in mass torts. But it is too early for these lawsuits.
Hiring a Lawyer
Our law firm is not handling Tasigna lawsuits.