The adverse events associated with the chemo drug Tasigna include sudden death and life-threatening conditions like heart attack, stroke, and amputation due to atherosclerosis.

When you’re diagnosed with cancer – particularly an aggressive form of cancer – it may seem that no side effect is too painful or unpleasant for a medication that could save your life. But what if that adverse event is more than a temporary side effect? For some cancer patients, Tasigna has been a lethal medication. What good is sending your cancer into remission if the drug that does it causes you to have a heart attack or stroke?

Though Tasigna is effective at treating Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the drug is linked to a number of side effects. These side effects range from the common and relatively harmless to potentially deadly medical emergencies.

Atherosclerosis: A Deadly Complication

Atherosclerosis, or arteriosclerosis, is a condition where your plaque builds up in your arteries. This plaque causes the arteries that carry blood throughout your body to become harder, narrower, and, in the worst case, blocked.

Atherosclerosis is a common condition that develops gradually over time as we age. Often, people who have atherosclerosis have no symptoms until the condition has progressed to a severe stage.

However, atherosclerosis linked to Tasigna use is not slow to develop. In fact, patients have gone from having healthy arteries to seeing 90 to 100 percent blocked arteries within just a couple of years on the cancer drug, according to reports. These patients have suffered life-altering strokes or died from complications related to atherosclerosis.

In fact, Tasigna lawsuits are being filed across the country on behalf of patients and their families. There’s evidence that the manufacturer of Tasigna, Novartis, knew about the risk of atherosclerosis long before U.S. doctors and patients did. Health Canada had already issued a nationwide warning about this danger as early as April 2013.

The types of atherosclerosis related conditions linked to Tasigna in clinical trials include:

• Peripheral arterial occlusive disease, which involves the arteries that carry blood to the arms and legs
• Femoral artery stenosis, which refers to the arteries in the upper thigh
• Coronary artery stenosis, which affects the arteries that bring blood to the heart and which can sometimes result in chest pain, or angina
• Carotid artery stenosis, which involves the carotid artery located in the neck
• Cerebrovascular accident, or stroke

Prolonged QT Interval and Sudden Deaths from Tasigna

When you think about your heart pumping blood, you might think of the event as a single movement. Actually, it’s a process. Prolonging a part of the process, as can happen to some patients when they take Tasigna, can lead to an abnormal and dangerous heart rhythm.

The waves of electrical activity in your heart are identified by letters. Waves Q through T, which travel through the ventricles, or lower chambers of your heart, can take longer in people with certain medical conditions or on medications like Tasigna. This QT interval expresses how long it takes for the heart to contract and refill with blood. If that interval takes too long, it can be dangerous to the patient.

The FDA has included a boxed warning about QT prolongation and sudden death on Tasigna labels.

Most Common Adverse Events With Tasigna

In addition to these major problems, there are a number of less severe – but still difficult to cope with – side effects. Some of these adverse events are common, including:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Headache
• Cough
• Rash
• Fatigue
• Pruritus
• Night sweats
• Arthralgia
• Pyrexia
• Nasopharyngitis

What to Do About Tasigna Side Effects

If you or a loved one suffers any kind of adverse reaction, the FDA urges you to report the adverse event. You can report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch or to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation at 1-888-669-6682. If the adverse event led to a death or to long-term or severe harm, you might have the grounds for a lawsuit and should speak with a Tasigna lawyer right away.

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