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Woman Who Got Rare Cancer From Her Breast Implants Receives Huge Pay Out
A 66-year-old woman has won a substantial settlement from Allergan Ltd after developing a rare cancer caused by breast implants. Susan Axelby, who had the implants following double mastectomies in 1999 due to familial cancer risks, encountered a "nightmare" when diagnosed with Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a form of non-Hodgkinson's lymphoma connected to the now-withdrawn Allergan products.
Despite numerous complications over the years and painful symptoms that began around her right implant, it was not until 2018 that she received the devastating diagnosis. The same year, Allergan's implants were suspended globally and later fully recalled in the UK by 2019.
Susan, residing in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, settled her case against Allergan in November 2023 without the firm admitting liability. However, she emphasised the importance of women being informed about the risks associated with these implants, reflecting on the tremendous impact the ordeal had on her life.
Susan stated: "My diagnosis with BIA-ALCL was a nightmare. The impact on my life has been very significant. I wanted to take legal action against Allergan to ensure that there was some form of accountability."
She added: "It has been seen to be the view of experts that some of these implants cause cancer. It is crucial that other women are made aware of this and that Allergan Ltd provide compensation so that they can take relevant steps to address their position."
Sarah Moore, a partner in the international group claims department at Leigh Day who represented Susan, also issued a stark warning about the risks faced by women with these implants.
She said: "I am pleased that we were able to achieve this settlement for Susan and hope that it will provide some form of closure for her in respect of her difficult experience with Allergan implants.
"Women with Allergan breast implants remain at risk of developing BIA-ALCL."
"This risk is reportedly low, however, we continue to be concerned about the obstacles women face, particularly in the private sector, in obtaining a BIA-ALCL diagnosis. As with any cancer early diagnosis can be key to improved survival and outcomes.
"Leigh Day continue to assist women who have had to battle to get a diagnosis of BIA-ALCL and appropriate surgery and treatment. Despite growing awareness of BIA-ALCL across patient groups it is worrying that some clinicians, particularly in the private sector, appear to be unaware of the symptoms of ALCL.
"We urge anyone who has been diagnosed with BIA-ALCL and who wishes to explore the possibility of legal action to get in touch as soon as possible."
Allergan's parent company, AbbVie, has been approached for a statement.
Woman's Allergan Breast Implants See Her Win Five-figure Pay-out Over Rare Cancer Link
Susan Axelby, 66, was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkinson's lymphoma in 2018, which has now been linked specifically with Allergan breast implants
Susan Axelby, 66, received the settlement from Allergan after her nightmare diagnosis (Image: No credit)
A woman who developed a rare form of cancer from her breast implants has received a substantial five-figure sum after taking legal action against the manufacturer.
Susan Axelby, 66, was awarded a settlement from Allergan Ltd following her "nightmare" diagnosis with a non-Hodgkinson's lymphoma associated with their now discontinued products.
Susan had double mastectomies in 1999 due to her concerns about her family's high risk of breast cancer. After the major surgery, she was fitted with Allergan breast implants. However, over the years, Susan encountered numerous problems with them, later noticing significant swelling and discomfort around her right implant.
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In a tragic turn of events in 2018, she was diagnosed with Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). This condition is a rare but potentially deadly form of non-Hodgkinson's lymphoma, which has since been specifically linked to Allergan breast implants.
The same year as her diagnosis, the products were withdrawn from the global market, and following a recall in 2019, they are no longer used in the UK. Susan, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, settled her claim with Allergan in November 2023, without any admission of liability.
Despite her considerable payout, she emphasised the importance of women being aware of the risks posed by the implants. Susan stated: "My diagnosis with BIA-ALCL was a nightmare. The impact on my life has been very significant."
"I wanted to take legal action against Allergan to ensure that there was some form of accountability. It has been seen to be the view of experts that some of these implants cause cancer.
"It is crucial that other women are made aware of this and that Allergan Ltd provide compensation so that they can take relevant steps to address their position."
She has emphasised the importance of women being aware of the risks posed by the implants (Image:
No credit)Lawyer Sarah Moore from the firm Leigh Day, who represented Susan in her battle, highlighted the ongoing risk for women.
She shared: "I am pleased that we were able to achieve this settlement for Susan and hope that it will provide some form of closure for her in respect of her difficult experience with Allergan implants.
"Women with Allergan breast implants remain at risk of developing BIA-ALCL.This risk is reportedly low, however, we continue to be concerned about the obstacles women face, particularly in the private sector, in obtaining a BIA-ALCL diagnosis.
"As with any cancer early diagnosis can be key to improved survival and outcomes. Leigh Day continues its work to support women struggling to get diagnosed with BIA-ALCL and to secure proper surgery and care, she detailed."
Moore also raised concerns about the lack of awareness among certain healthcare professionals, "Leigh Day continue to assist women who have had to battle to get a diagnosis of BIA-ALCL and appropriate surgery and treatment. Despite growing awareness of BIA-ALCL across patient groups it is worrying that some clinicians, particularly in the private sector, appear to be unaware of the symptoms of ALCL."
"We urge anyone who has been diagnosed with BIA-ALCL and who wishes to explore the possibility of legal action to get in touch as soon as possible."
Allergan's parent company, AbbVie, has been contacted for comment.
AffyImmune Receives FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) Designation For AIC100 In Recurrent Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
RMAT designation follows FDA's review of available preliminary clinical evidence that AIC100 has the potential to address unmet medical need in recurrent anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC)
RMAT designation enables increased dialogue with the FDA to support the potential expedited development and review of AIC100 in clinical evaluation for ATC
NATICK, Mass., July 23, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AffyImmune, a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing novel, first-in-class chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies, announced today the designation of Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its CAR T-cell product candidate, AIC100 as a potential treatment for patients with recurrent anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), the most aggressive form of the disease.
"We believe this important recognition from the FDA further supports the therapeutic potential of AIC100 to change the current treatment paradigm in advanced thyroid cancer and potentially other forms of aggressive solid tumors," said Daniel Janse, Ph.D., CEO at AffyImmune. "RMAT designation was granted following the FDA's review of safety and efficacy data from the first ten patients dosed with AIC100 in our Phase 1 study. We believe the RMAT designation reinforces the potential ability of AIC100 to meet the high unmet medical need in recurrent ATC, an aggressive disease where a standard of care is currently not available."
RMAT designation was designed to expedite the development and review of regenerative medicine therapies. A regenerative medicine therapy is eligible for RMAT designation if it is intended to treat, modify, reverse or cure a serious condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates the therapy has the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease. Sponsor companies receiving RMAT designation can benefit from increased interactions with the FDA involving senior managers, with the goal of expediting drug development.
"We remain focused on advancing the development of AIC100 for patients and families living with this devastating cancer," said Sonal Gupta, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Development. "Receiving RMAT designation helps facilitate this goal by enabling increased dialogue with the FDA to expedite our development plan for our affinity-tuned CAR T therapy. We look forward to working closely with the FDA and other regulatory agencies as we continue to advance this program."
At ASCO 2024, AffyImmune reported interim results from their Phase 1 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of AIC100, an ICAM-1 targeting and affinity-tuned LFA-1 binder CAR T-cell therapy, in patients with advanced thyroid cancer. Notably, a metabolic complete response was achieved in one patient with ATC, the most aggressive form of the disease.
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For more information about the Phase 1 study, visit www.Clinicaltrials.Gov (NCT04420754).
About AffyImmune Therapeutics
AffyImmune is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing a first-in-class, ICAM-1 targeting and affinity-tuned LFA-1 binder CAR T therapy to transform the lives of patients with advanced solid cancers. The Company's proprietary technology utilizing ICAM-1/LFA-1 interaction can potentially address the critical CAR T challenges such as toxicity, antigen loss, T-cell trafficking and exhaustion, while also allowing in vivo tracking of the CAR T cells. Its lead candidate, AIC100, is currently in a Phase 1 study to treat patients with advanced thyroid cancers including advanced differentiated thyroid cancer and ATC. AffyImmune is developing a focused pipeline in ICAM-1-positive cancers with high unmet medical need. AffyImmune is based in Natick, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.Affyimmune.Com.
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Kimberly HaKKH Advisorskimberly.Ha@kkhadvisors.Com917-291-5744
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