Help from a Coral Springs Truvada Attorney

Truvada, known chemically as tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (“TDF”), is a popular prescription medication produced by Gilead Sciences (“Gilead”) for the treatment of HIV. The first TDF medication manufactured by Gilead, Viread hit the American market in 2001, closely followed by Truvada in 2004, Atripla in 2006, Complera in 2011, and Stribild in 2012. Plaintiffs alleged that TDF drugs have low bioavailability, meaning that they are not easily absorbed by the body, making it necessary for the drugs to be ingested at an elevated dosage in order to provide the promised antiviral effect. It was further argued that as a result of the high dosage, an excessive amount of tenofovir infiltrated patients’ kidneys and bones. Plaintiffs asserted that importantly, patients taking the drug already had a compromised immune system.

Plaintiffs claimed that Gilead downplayed the HIV medication’s side effects by suggesting that prescribing doctors monitor bone mineral density in patients with a history of pathologic fractures or those who were at risk for osteopenia. Plaintiffs further argued that Gilead was aware of the issues associated with TDF medications from the time the drugs were developed and specifically, that Gilead knew that TDF has low bioavailability and that elevated doses would impact patients’ kidneys and bones.

A safer alternative to TDF is tenofovir alafenamide (“TAF”), which Gilead has had in cultivation since 2001. TAF medications require one-tenth the dosage of TDF medications and are therefore less toxic. According to a press release from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (“AHF”), Gilead “deliberately and maliciously suppressed from the market, its alternate and newer formulation of the drug, TAF, in order to extend the patent life—and sale—of its existing medications that included TDF.” In keeping with Gilead’s intention to withhold TAF from the American market until it had exhausted proceeds from TDF medications, the company did not receive FDA approval for TAF drugs until 2015 with the introduction of Genovya, three years before the 2018 expiration of the TDF patent. Genovya was followed by Odefsey and Descovy in 2016.

Several suits have already been filed against Gilead in both federal and state courts with the first individual and class action suits being filed in California federal court.The class action suit is: Holley v. Gilead Sciences Case No.: 3:18-cv-06972, in U.S. Dist. Ct., N.D. CA

Coral Springs Truvada Attorney Evan M. Ostfeld

Let The Law Offices of Evan M. Ostfeld, P.A. and their co-counselling law firms provide you with representation to pursue your claims for injuries caused by the use of Truvada. Since we handle these cases on a contingent basis. That means there are no fees and or costs unless there is a recovery of court award. Our team will work with you at every step of the process to make sure you understand the legal actions that we are taking on your behalf. Contact us today for a no obligation case evaluation at (866) 478-3968, (954) 227-7529, (954) 998-0075 text or email at evan@attorney4life.com to discuss your situation with us. We look forward to the opportunity to help you receive compensation for the use of this product which caused your injuries.