Truvada Recall: What You Need to Know

Sometimes, when new and innovative drugs hit the market, they can seem too good to be true. Unfortunately, that was the case with Truvada’s release in 2004. The Truvada recall impacted many individuals and families, resulting in multiple pharmaceutical lawsuits. While monetary compensation can’t make up for many of the problems caused by Truvada side effects, having a pharmaceutical injury lawyer on your side to represent you can help you to have a voice and receive a portion of what you deserve from the Truvada recall. 

What is Truvada? It was initially released as a way to protect people from ever contracting the HIV virus and as a treatment option for HIV-positive adults already using other forms of treatment. Truvada for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) also was designed to help people with a high risk of contracting HIV. 

Truvada hasn’t been without its victories. In fact, it’s helped some people exactly as promised. However, the risks of this drug have outweighed the rewards. Since its release, Truvada’s manufacturing company, Gilead Sciences Inc., has been under fire with multiple Truvada lawsuit claims. 

What Are the Potential Side Effects? 

Most HIV medications come with a laundry list of side effects, and Truvada is no different. Some of the most common side effects include: 

• Dark-colored urine
• Light-colored stools
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Loss of appetite

Truvada warns patients who are taking it regularly to seek help from their healthcare providers if they experience any of these symptoms. Unfortunately, these side effects can seem like a walk in the park when you consider some of the more serious adverse effects caused by Truvada. 

One of the biggest health problems associated with Truvada is called lactic acidosis. This occurs when there’s too much of a buildup of lactic acid in your blood. It can lead to everything from muscle pain and weakness to feeling dizzy. It can also cause your hands and feet to feel cold and turn blue. 

Kidney problems have been linked with Truvada from the start. It can weaken the kidneys and eventually lead to kidney failure—a condition that could be fatal. Kidney conditions can also lead to bone problems, including fractures, weakness, and pain. As a result, people taking Truvada are at a higher risk of low bone density, which can make it easy for bones to break and other bone injuries to occur. 

As you might expect, that can lead to expensive hospital bills. That’s exactly why a Truvada lawyer is necessary to help you cover your expenses and (hopefully) make the recovery experience easier for you and your family. 

Who Can File a Lawsuit Against Truvada?

Anyone who experienced harmful side effects as a result of using Truvada can file a claim against the manufacturer, Gilead Sciences Inc. Of course, this goes beyond side effects like nausea or dizziness. Instead, you may be entitled to compensation if you experienced things like kidney disease, bone damage, or lactic acidosis. In some cases, any of these conditions can be life-threatening. Even if you found treatment for them, there’s a good chance you had to rack up a slew of medical bills in the process. 

If you or someone you know had to go through the trauma of treatment for one of these conditions because of Truvada, you can work with a lawyer to file a lawsuit. Most claims against Truvada are due to the fact that Gilead didn’t effectively warn about the risks of the drug, including its potential defectiveness. 

You don’t have to be intimidated to go up against a big company. People all over the country are starting to hold Gilead accountable for manufacturing a faulty drug and, if you or your family has been impacted by it, you’re entitled to your fair share, too. 

Is It a Class Action Lawsuit? 

You’ve probably heard about major recalls before, resulting in big class-action lawsuits. Unfortunately, class action lawsuits often give those affected by the faulty product a small settlement that is more symbolic than useful. 

If you’ve had to deal with hospital bills or lost wages or your quality of life has been severely impacted by Truvada, you’re entitled to much more than a small piece of the pie. That’s why most claims filed against Gilead and Truvada are handled on a case-by-case basis. You may have suffered more than someone else who took the drug or vice versa. It’s not fair to put a blanket amount of money on an issue like this. If you’ve had to deal with more, you deserve more compensation. 

What to Expect from a Settlement

Thousands of people have filed claims against Gilead. That’s both good news and bad news. Because there have been so many claims, it can take some time to work out what the settlements consist of. Again, instead of labeling this as a class-action lawsuit, the courts are more likely to consolidate all of the lawsuits into a multidistrict litigation (MDL). In order to do that, they need to gather evidence, hear testimonies, and hear from experts. 

Gilead made over $18 billion per year from Truvada. If the claims against the drug are found true, that money will be paid out to the victims for things like medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. It’s likely Gilead will want to settle before too many people in the public eye learn about their mistakes. 

Hiring An Experienced Attorney for a Truvada Lawsuit

Simply put, Gilead and Truvada are in hot water when it comes to saving face and keeping their product in a positive light. Thousands of people have been negatively impacted by a drug meant to give them hope for a healthy future. 

Money can’t make up for the time, stress, pain, and disappointment you’ve had to go through thanks to this drug, but compensation can help you to regain some of what you may have lost due to medical bills and lost wages. If you need a pharmaceutical injury lawyer who knows the ins and outs of this case and will go to bat for you, ask Joe––contact us today for your free case evaluation.