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What is TDF? 

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is a way for people who do not have HIV but who are at very high risk of getting HIV to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) drugs like Truvada, Atripla, Stribild, Complera and Virea are combination drugs that have been used since 2012.

What do TDF lawsuits allege? 

TDF lawsuits have been filed against Gilead, the manufacturer of the TDF drugs.  These lawsuits allege that Gilead withheld information about the TDF drug’s side effects and concealed the safer form of these drugs from the public in order to maximize profits.

TDF drug users are experiencing serious kidney injuries and bone disorders/fractures.

The safer improved formulation of tenofivir, tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF), was approved by the FDA in November 2015. These drugs were also developed by Gilead and are likely to become equally profitable for the company as TDF moves to a generic formulation in 2020.

How many lawsuits have been filed and where?

TDF lawsuits have been filed in California state and federal courts over the course of the past few years, and it is expected there will be a consolidation of these cases in California.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation called on Gilead to create a $10 billion fund for “victims harmed by its TDF-based drugs.”

Who are the injured individuals?

It is estimated that pre-exposure prophylaxis is practiced by about 80,000 people in the United States annually.

Although treatments to prevent HIV have been recommended in the US since 2012, the price of PrEP has kept these drugs out of the hands of a large percentage of people who could benefit from its use.  At a monthly cost of just under $2,000, studies show that millions more Americans could benefit from PrEP, but many are unable to afford the drugs.  There has been a lot of controversy over access to PrEP.

According to Avert, the highest concentration of PrEP users are in New York, Massachusetts and Iowa, in that order.  The large majority of injured individuals are likely to be men. Despite the fact that HIV disproportionally affects the African American communities, white people receive PrEP at six times the rate of African Americans.

What does SimplyConvert’s “All-Knowing” Bot know?

SimplyConvert walks all potential clients through a series of questions regarding injuries they believe could be caused by TDF medications.

When contracts are enabled on SimplyConvert, individuals who have taken a TDF medicine and have experienced a serious kidney or bone injury will receive a contract if they meet the use and latency requirements. Details about these requirements can be found on the TDF/Truvada Litigation bot flow.

When contracts are disabled on SimplyConvert, individuals that meet the requirements of a TDF lawsuit will be marked as “Pending Review” and you may want to consider sending a contract out.

What should my firm do with TDF Cases?

One of the goals of creating our “all-knowing” bot was the ability to offer legal users the best legal representation possible – instantly. In many instances your firm will be the best option for a client that finds you online. But, in some instances, your firm may not have the proper resources or experience in a particular area of law to help an individual that is asking for your help.

In these situations, everyone wins by using the SimplyConvert referral management platform.

SimplyConvert partners with law firms that are actively involved in the litigations, giving potential claimants the best shot at a successful outcome. In addition, as a conduit to these law firms, your firm has the opportunity to create an additional revenue stream in the form of referral fees.

We truly believe that the best lawyers for those injured by TDF are those that are actively involved in these cases and we have worked out a relationship with these lawyers that we are happy to share with you upon request.

Why not be part of the solution to giving users the best possible representation and “enable” these contracts?