Taxotere (Docetaxel)

Taxotere is the brand name for docetaxel, a taxane chemotherapy drug given by IV infusion. It has been widely used to treat breast cancer, as well as prostate, non-small cell lung, stomach, and head and neck cancers. Hair loss during chemotherapy is expected and usually temporary. The lawsuits are about hair that never grew back.

The current docetaxel prescribing information lists permanent alopecia among the adverse reactions reported after approval. Plaintiffs, mostly breast cancer survivors, claim Sanofi knew of reports of permanent hair loss years before it strengthened the U.S. label, and that patients would have chosen an equally effective alternative with less risk had they been told. Sanofi disputes the claims.

The litigation is large and long-running. Federal hair loss cases are consolidated as In re Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2740, before Judge Jane Triche Milazzo in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and a separate MDL 3023 in the same court handles eye injury claims. Both were still listed as active by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation as of September 1, 2026. The eye injury claims allege that docetaxel caused blocked tear ducts (canalicular stenosis) leading to constant tearing.

A claim generally requires records showing docetaxel infusions (and ideally which manufacturer's product was used, since generic makers face different rules), plus documentation that hair did not regrow months after treatment ended. Deadlines depend on when you knew or should have known the loss was permanent. See what is MDL, class action vs. mass tort, and the shampoo hair loss lawsuit for a different hair loss claim. This page is general information, not medical advice.