Home » TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drugs » TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drug Bone Demineralization

TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drug Bone Demineralization

• More on TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drugs
  • TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drug Chronic Kidney Disease
  • TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drug Bone Demineralization
  • TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drug Lawsuit

TDF (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) HIV anti-viral drugs, including Truvada, Viread, Atripla, Complera, and Stribild, can cause bone demineralization, a condition that, over time, can lead to osteoperosis, osteopenia and bone fractures.

Recently-filed lawsuits accuse Gilead of downplaying the risk of bone demineralization associated with TDF HIV anti-viral drugs and delaying a safer version of tenofovir that may be less toxic to bones.

Free Legal Reviews for Victims of TDF Bone Demineralization

The nationwide law firm of Bernstein Liebhard LLP is offering free legal reviews to individuals who may have experienced serious complications due to bone demineralization related to the use of Truvada, Viread, Atripia, Complera or Stribild.

To learn if you are eligible to file a TDF HIV anti-viral drug lawsuit, please contact our office today by calling (888) 994-5118.

TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drugs and Bone Toxicity

TDF HIV anti-viral drugs have been available since 2001, when the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Viread. Since then, Gilead has launched several TDF combination drugs, including Truvada, Atripla, Complera, and Stribild.

These HIV medications have proven to be extremely profitable, netting Gilead a combined $11 billion in sales in 2017 alone.

While TDF has proven very effective in treating HIV or preventing its transmission, these anti-viral drugs are also associated with some very serious side effects. Among other things, TDF medications are toxic to  bones, and may cause some patients to experience severe bone demineralization.

Complications of bone demineralization include:

• Osteopenia
• Osteoporosis
• Bone fractures

Unfortunately, bone demineralization has few symptoms early on. Many patients aren’t aware that their bones have been compromised until they suffer their first fracture.

TDF Lawsuit: Gilead Downplayed Risk of Bone Demineralization

In May 2018, two California men filed a TDF HIV anti-viral drug lawsuit accusing Gilead of downplaying the potential for bone demineralization and other side effects. Among other things, their filing notes that:

• In 2002, an FDA Warning Letter asserted that Gilead salespeople had falsely stated that TDF had ‘no toxicities’ was ‘benign’ and was ‘extremely safe.’
• A second FDA Warning Letter issued in 2003 required Gilead to retrain its sales representatives to provide accurate information regarding the significant side effects associated with TDF.

Why Did Gilead Delay a Safer Version of Tenofovir?

The TDF lawsuit also alleges that Gilead delayed a safer version of tenofovir in order to protect its own bottom line.

Gilead began developing the new drug, tenofovir alafenamide or TAF, more than a decade ago. However, the company halted its TAF research in 2004 and declined to publish findings that suggested TAF was less toxic to the bones and kidneys compared to TDF.

“After learning that TAF had a higher absorption rate and largely avoided the bone and kidney toxicity associated with TDF, Gilead shelved its development of TAF and instead kept HIV infected patients and their doctors in the dark about the true risks associated with TDF, along with the solution to those risks, for over a decade,” the complaint asserts.  “In 2014, as Gilead’s patent on TDF approached its expiration and Gilead faced a sharp decrease in profits that would result from competition entering the market for TDF-containing drugs, Gilead decided to release the results of the TAF studies it began conducting in 2001.”

Gilead would obtain FDA approval for its first TAF drug in November 2015, a combination pill called Genvoy. It has since brought several other TAF medications to market, including Biktarvy and Descovy.

Learn More About Filing a TDF HIV Anti-Viral Drug Lawsuit

You may be eligible for financial compensation if you experienced fractures or other complications due to bone demineralization associated with TDF HIV anti-viral drugs, including Truvada, Viread, Atripla, Complera, and Stribild

To learn more about filing a TDF lawsuit, contact our office for a free, no-obligation case review by calling (888) 994-5118.