Five Commonly Prescribed HIV Drugs Linked to Kidney Disease and Bone Damage
As of 2019 there are about 1.1 million people in the United States living with HIV. In addition, there is an estimated 160,000-plus individuals infected with HIV that do not yet know they have the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of this year, an estimated 40 million people worldwide have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of the pandemic in the early to mid 1980s.
Thanks largely to a class of medications derived from Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate, commonly known as TDF, HIV can be controlled in an infected person’s system, preventing the progression of the infection to AIDS and nearly certain death. Unfortunately, 18 years after this medication was approved for use in treating HIV in the United States, we are now learning that the risks associated with the drug are more profound that what we were lead to believe by Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer of a line of medications containing TDF. Indeed, individuals prescribed and who have been taking medications manufactured by Gilead and containing TDF are now reporting serious health problems associated with the drug.
Two significant types of injuries connected to the use of TDF drugs from Gilead involve kidneys and bones. The precise number of people with kidney damage resulting from TDF medications is not known. Thus far, an estimated 6,000 people have suffered bone fractures connected to the use of TDF medications.
Researchers believe that TDF has caused kidney disease in some users. The kidney disease has resulted in kidney failure, necessitation dialysis and transplants. TDF appears to be responsible for causing bone loss or a reduction in bone density in some people, rendering bones susceptible to breaking. The use of TDF is now believed to increase the risk of bone fracture by 40%.
The History of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate or TDF:
From Acclaim to Serious Health Concerns
TDF, is a medication used to treat chronic hepatitis B as well as to treat HIV infection. When it comes to the treatment of HIV, TDF normally is part of multi-drug regimen which results in HIV being undetectable in a person’s system. Thus, while TDF doesn’t technically cure HIV, it renders the infection manageable. Moreover, TDF prevents the transition of an HIV infection into a full-blown case of AIDS. In other words, unlike the situation in the 1980s and 1990s, an HIV infection no longer is a death sentence.
TDF was patented in 1996 internationally. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved TDF for use in treating hepatitis B and HIV in 2001. In 2017, generic derivations of TDF became available.
The approval of TDF by different health agencies around the globe for use in treating HIV was greeted with tumultuous fanfare. The medication was described by governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations alike as being among the “most effective and safest” medications in the healthcare system. By 2019, facts associated with the use of TDF revealed that referencing it as among the “safest” medications available to consumers was very likely a false proposition.
In fact, Gilead not only appears to have known of these serious risks associated with TDF but actually held off releasing a modified version of the medication to protect its own interests despite the ongoing harm to unsuspecting consumers.
Brand Names of TDF Medications
Gilead markets TDF medications under an array of different brand names. If you are like most people taking an HIV medication, you likely know the brand name but very well may have never heard of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate.
If you are prescribed one or another of these medications as part of your HIV care regimen, you have been taking TDF:
- Viread
- Truvada
- Atripla
- Complera
- Stribild
If You Take a TDF Medication, Protect Your Legal Rights Today
If you have been taken one of the medications referenced a moment ago, promptly make an appointment with your primary care physician. Request kidney functioning and bone density screenings.
If you find that you suffer from either kidney impairment or a bone density issue, you can learn more about your vital legal rights by scheduling a consultation with a pharmaceutical malpractice lawyer from our firm. There is not charge for a consult and case evaluation with a seasoned, tenacious pharmaceutical malpractice lawyer at The Doan Law Firm. You can reach use any time of the day or night at (800) 349-0000. We are a nationwide law firm that never charges an attorney fee unless we win for you.