Xarelto Blood Thinner Lawsuit
A growing number of claims against Bayer Healthcare and Janssen Pharmaceuticals are being pursued by patients alleging that Xarelto, a prescription drug intended to prevent blood clots, can cause severe side effects and even death. Xarelto blood thinner lawsuits are being filed in Arkansas and across the country. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to seek compensation with the help of Xarelto lawsuit attorneys.
What is Xarelto
Xarelto, or rivaroxaban, is a prescription anticoagulant that is intended to help prevent dangerous blood clotting. It is one of a class of drugs called direct factor Xa inhibitors, which are known informally as blood thinners. Injured patients claim that the drug can cause complications after surgery and that it can cause unstoppable internal bleeding. The drug is manufactured by Bayer and was marketed in the U.S. by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson.
Xarelto was first approved in July 2011 by the FDA to prevent pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis following knee and hip surgery. In November of that year, the FDA granted approval for the drug to be used in in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation to prevent clotting and stroke.
By January 2013, 593 reports of bleeding potentially associated with Xarelto had been reported to the FDA MedWatch Adverse Events system. In April 2014 the first lawsuit against Xarelto was filed by the family of a victim who died of internal bleeding allegedly linked to Xarelto use. In December 2014 all federally filed Xarelto cases were consolidated into an MDL in the Eastern District of the U.S. District Court of Louisiana. As of April 2015 there were over 400 pending lawsuits against Xarelto. An additional 204 lawsuits were pending in Pennsylvania in a consolidated state mass tort proceeding.
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Who is prescribed Xarelto
Doctors frequently prescribe anticoagulants like Xarelto to patients who are at risk for forming blood clots. This includes patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation and those who have recently undergone knee or hip replacement surgery.
A patient with atrial fibrillation has an abnormal hearth rhythm. The irregular heartbeat can cause blood to pool and accumulate in the heart. Pooled blood can become a clot that can pass through the blood vessels and lodge in the brain, where it cuts off oxygen and causes a stroke. Clots can also migrate to the lungs and legs, causing severe health complications, tissue damage and even death.
Following knee or hip replacement surgery a patient may be at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis, or clotting in the deep veins of the body. Clots may stay in the legs where they cause tissue damage or migrate, threatening the lungs and the brain. Blood thinners are prescribed to reduce the risk of dangerous blood clots.
Xarelto Side Effects
Like many drugs, Xarelto can cause a number of side effects. Many patients who took Xarelto experienced minimal or no side effects, but others allege they have suffered severe and even life-threatening effects from taking Xarelto. Among the more common side effects attributed to Xarelto are:
Dizziness
Headaches
Excessive bruising
Back pain
Coughing or vomiting blood
Swollen or bleeding gums
Blood in urine
Bloody or tarry stools
Unstoppable bleeding from scrapes and cuts
Many of these side effects stem from the anticoagulatory function of Xarelto and are similar to those experienced with other blood thinners. However, the FDA has also received over 2,000 reports of more serious side effects in Xarelto patients, including reports of 183 deaths where Xarelto was being prescribed. Among the more serious side effects documented in the patients’ claims are:
Cerebrovascular complaints
Thrombosis
Hematoma
Hemoglobin reduction
Deep vein thrombosis
Pulmonary embolism
Severe ankle or leg swelling
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Xarelto Blood Thinner Lawsuit
Lawsuits against Xarelto claim that it is defective and that it presents a greater danger than other types of blood thinners. The adverse effects of other anticoagulants can generally be managed with vitamin K, but Xarelto does not respond to that or any other treatment. If the bleeding cannot be stopped it can lead to serious injury and even death.
Despite the number of lawsuits against Bayer in the Xarelto case, current information suggests that a settlement has not yet been reached. Settlement would not prohibit additional patients who have taken Xarelto from contacting an Arkansasa Xarelto lawsuit attorney and filing their own claims against the drug maker.
Xarelto Lawsuit News
- January 2017Xarelto lawsuit joins 15,000 other claims pending in Xarelto multidistrict litigation (MDL).
- April 2016News reports state that a Xarelto lawsuit has been filed by a patient who claims to have suffered internal bleeding and lasting health damage caused by the drug.
- February 2016Over 400 lawsuits pending in the Xarelto multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, according to the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. Approximately 204 additional Xarelto lawsuits are pending in a consolidated state mass tort proceeding in Pennsylvania. Lawsuits allege that Xarelto causes severe internal bleeding and related complications.
- December 2014U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation approves consolidation of all federally filed Xarelto cases into an MDL in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana.
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If you have questions about a Xarelto Blood Thinner Lawsuit, or if you want to speak with an Arkansas Xarelto Lawsuit Attorney, contact the Johnson firm today. You can contact us by filling out the form on this page, calling us at 501-777-7777, or emailing us at [email protected]
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Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
