Preview Newsletter
Xarelto Media Scan 7-17-15
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National Xarelto Attorneys Announce Over 100 New Xarelto Lawsuits
Jul 12, 2015 | Injury Lawyers
By PRWEB
Attorneys handling national Xarelto lawsuits report that the number of cases consolidated as part of MDL 2592 now exceeds 550, according to court documents.* Each of the claims shares common questions of fact and have been transferred to the Eastern District of Louisiana for consolidated pretrial proceedings. Last month, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation reported a total of 434 cases included in the litigation; as of June 15, 2015, the number of national Xarelto lawsuits has risen to 552, according to official court documents. -
The Meldofsky Firm Continues to Help Americans with Claims and Litigation over Blood Thinner Xarelto
Jul 14, 2015 | WeSRCH
By The Meldofsky Firm LLC
Produced by Bayer and marketed in the United States by Johnson & Johnson’s subordinate, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Xarelto was approved in the year 2011 and is considered as one of the most recent blood thinners that are in the market today. While the drug helps with a lot of health problems, it has a lot of dangerous side effects too. One of which is uncontrollable bleeding. Normally patients who are prescribed this drug are not informed or warned about all the side effects that might come with it and since this drug does not have an antidote, often times, its usage results in various serious health complications. -
Xarelto Lawsuits Mount In Recent Months
Jul 10, 2015 | Righting Injustice
By Jennifer Walker-Journey
Lawsuits involving the bleeding side effects with the blood thinner Xarelto have seen a steady increase in recent months according to an analysis of statistics from the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation through mid-June. -
Bellwether Trial Dates Scheduled for Xarelto MDL
Jul 13, 2015 | The Legal Examiner
By Eric T. Chaffin
In December 2014, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) consolidated all federal Xarelto lawsuits into one court in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Since then, all product liability complaints concerning Xarelto (rivaroxaban) filed in federal court have been transferred to Louisiana for pre-trial proceedings. Managing all these cases in one court is expected to help increase efficiency, preserve judicial resources, and reduce duplicative discovery and conflicting rulings. -
Xarelto Bleeding Side Effects and Lawsuits Increasing
Jul 13, 2015 | Dallas Fort Worth Injury Worth Lawyer Blog
By Dr. Shezad Malik
Xarelto is under fire, if you follow the allegations in the over 550 lawsuits filed to date. Xarelto is one of the newer oral anticoagulant medications that has been approved by the FDA. The federal Xarelto personal injury and product liability claims are centralized before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon in the Eastern District of Louisiana. -
Xarelto Users Face Serious Internal Bleeding Risks
Jul 13, 2015 | Top Class Actions
By Ashley Vanover
Xarelto is a blood thinner medication, similar to Pradaxa and Coumadin (warfarin), used to reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythms) not caused by heart valve problems. -
The Risks of Blood Thinner Injuries
Jul 14, 2015 | Ferrer, Poirot & Wansbrough | Injury Law Blog
By Keith Adkins
Abnormal heart rhythms can signal serious health risks. Patients suffering from this condition have an increased danger of developing blood clots, which can cause a heart attack, stroke, or even death. -
$4 Million Xarelto Lawsuit Added to Xarelto MDL
Jul 14, 2015 | Lopez McHugh LLP
By Product News and Recalls
According to the Madison Record, a $4.35 million Madison County Xarelto lawsuit has been transferred to the multidistrict litigation court, where it joins roughly 250 similar Xarelto lawsuits. The lawsuit stems from a 90-count complaint filed in January against the various companies responsible for Xarelto, including Bayer and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The plaintiff has accused the manufacturers of Xarelto of overstating the efficacy of their drug and failing to disclose Xarelto’s increased risk of bleeding. -
Xarelto Use Doubles Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Jul 15, 2015 | Top Class Actions
By Amanda Antell
While reports have been surfacing for some time that the popular anticoagulant Xarelto induces major internal bleeding injuries, a recent study suggests that Xarelto may double the risk for gastrointestinal bleeding when compared to an older anticoagulant, Warfain. -
Internal Bleeding Lawsuits Are Being Filed in Oklahoma
Jul 14, 2015 | Blood Thinner Help
By Marc Goldich
Xarelto is a prescription blood thinner drug that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in 2011. Since its approval, 11 million prescriptions for the drug have been written across the country. Xarelto is different from other blood thinners on the market because it is an Xa inhibitor. Xa inhibitors block a chemical in the blood called Thrombin, which is responsible for making the blood clot. Xarelto is usually prescribed to patients who have recently had a hip or knee replacement surgery or who are experiencing excessive blood clots. Xarelto is made up of the drug rivaroxaban. -
New Class Of Blood Thinners Linked To Serious Bleeding Risks
Jul 15, 2015 | Righting Injustice
By Jennifer Walker-Journey
Makers of the novel new anticoagulants Pradaxa, Xarelto and Eliquis have shelled out a lot of money to advertise their blood thinners directly to consumers, but what may not be as obvious is how much these drug companies are paying doctors to tout the benefits of their drugs. -
Xarelto Fighting to Change its Bad Reputation
Jul 15, 2015 | Citizens Report
By Citizens Report
Xarelto has been an important product for both Bayer and Johnson & Johnson since its introduction. It is an anticoagulant that has lead its field and performed better than all of its competitors. Despite its popular numbers, Xarelto has had trouble fighting the idea that it is an inferior product than its biggest rival, Eliquis. The general feeling permeating throughout the anticoagulant market is that Eliquis is more effective and a better solution than Xarelto. This idea comes from trials that examined the effectiveness of both Xarelto and Eliquis. In the trials, Eliquis came out faring better. -
Getting Justice With a Xarelto Lawsuit
Jul 15, 2015 | Jones Ward Trial Attorneys
By JonesWardPLC
Have you or a loved one taken Xarelto to treat or prevent blood clots? Did you suffer from uncontrollable bleeding? Thousands of men and women across the country have experienced dangerous Xarelto side effects. If you think you’ve been affected, stand up for your rights and share your story. -
Xarelto Multidistrct Litigation Sets Bellwether Trial Dates for 2016
Jul 16, 2015 | Texas Injury Law Blog
By Majed Nachawati
Since December 2014, all federal Xarelto lawsuits have been consolidated in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Any federal lawsuits filed against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG, the manufacturers of Xarelto (rivaroxaban), would have been transferred to the Louisiana court for pre-trial proceedings. By moving all cases into one court, federal judges expect to increase efficiency by all parties involved. -
Xarelto May Carry High Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Jul 17, 2015 | Top Class Actions
By Melissa LaFreniere
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal indicates that the widely prescribed anticoagulant Xarelto may carry twice the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding when compared to the more traditional blood thinner Warfarin (Coumadin) -
Iowa Xarelto Lawyers Filing Bleeding Injury Lawsuits
Jul 17, 2015 | Blood Thinner Help
By MArc Goldich
The popular drug Xarelto has come under intense scrutiny lately after research has linked the drug to severe side effects including uncontrollable bleeding. Subsequently, lawsuits have been filed against pharmaceutical companies Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) and Bayer AG, claiming that their blockbuster blood thinner Xarelto led to internal bleeding which caused serious injuries and death. -
Xarelto Study Suggests Blood Thinner May Cross Placental Barrier
Jul 17, 2015 | Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Could Xarelto pose a risk to an unborn child? A newly-published study suggests that the medication is able to cross the human placental barrier when it is used by pregnant women. Whether this poses any danger to a developing fetus is not clear.
Plaintiff Attorney Press Releases
Plaintiff Attorney Blog Posts
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National Xarelto Attorneys Announce Over 100 New Xarelto Lawsuits
Jul 12, 2015 | Injury Lawyers
By PRWEB
Attorneys handling national Xarelto lawsuits report that the number of cases consolidated as part of MDL 2592 now exceeds 550, according to court documents.* Each of the claims shares common questions of fact and have been transferred to the Eastern District of Louisiana for consolidated pretrial proceedings. Last month, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation reported a total of 434 cases included in the litigation; as of June 15, 2015, the number of national Xarelto lawsuits has risen to 552, according to official court documents.
“As pretrial proceedings move forward, new cases are being added for inclusion in the MDL. The purpose of multidistrict litigation is to avoid duplicative discovery in order to promote efficiency and consistency in the court’s handling of these Xarelto cases. As more Americans learn about the existence of Xarelto lawsuits making allegations of internal bleeding injuries and wrongful death, we expect the number of cases to continue to rise,” explained Jim Onder of the Onder Law Firm.
Each of the 552 claims now pending in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana has been approved for consolidation because it shares “common questions of fact”, according to court documents. In other words, these cases all make the same allegations against the same defendant(s). In the case of Xarelto lawsuits, the plaintiffs include individuals and the family members of individuals who allegedly suffered severe internal bleeding while taking Xarelto, according to court documents. These plaintiffs allege the pharmaceutical company responsible for marketing Xarelto, Janssen Research & Development (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) knew or should have known of the increased risk of serious internal bleeding caused by Xarelto and should have warned consumers, according to court documents. Furthermore, these Xarelto lawsuit claims allege plaintiffs were not warned of the lack of a known antidote to stop bleeding once it had started in a patient taking Xarelto, according to court documents.
These Xarelto attorneys provide regular news updates and no-cost Xarelto lawsuit case evaluation at XareltoContingencyLawsuit.com.
Xarelto lawsuits attempt to recover damages for individuals and families who have suffered or lost a loved one as a result of bleeding or another related medical condition they attribute to Xarelto. Attorneys handling Xarelto lawsuits throughout the United States are now accepting claims from persons and their loved ones who suffered from severe internal bleeding or hemorrhagic stroke while taking Xarelto. Lawyers are investigating these inquiries for possible Xarelto lawsuits. The Onder Law Firm is renowned for its achievements in product and consumer safety litigation, with a strong track record of winning meaningful settlements for clients. The firm is nationally-renowned for its work on window blind strangulation, and has notable expertise in fighting on behalf of individuals against powerful corporations. Individuals and the family members of individuals who have suffered from internal bleeding and have taken Xarelto are eligible for a no-cost, no-obligation Xarelto lawsuit case review, and may contact the firm through its Xarelto Contingency Lawsuit website.
The Onder Law Firm also welcomes Xarelto lawsuit inquiries from other law firms, either to handle these inquiries or work as co-counsel.
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The Meldofsky Firm Continues to Help Americans with Claims and Litigation over Blood Thinner Xarelto
Jul 14, 2015 | WeSRCH
By The Meldofsky Firm LLC
Produced by Bayer and marketed in the United States by Johnson & Johnson’s subordinate, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Xarelto was approved in the year 2011 and is considered as one of the most recent blood thinners that are in the market today. While the drug helps with a lot of health problems, it has a lot of dangerous side effects too. One of which is uncontrollable bleeding. Normally patients who are prescribed this drug are not informed or warned about all the side effects that might come with it and since this drug does not have an antidote, often times, its usage results in various serious health complications.
A lot of times, the only way to hold the manufacturing company accountable for producing drugs that can cause severe health problems, is to file a lawsuit against them. A lawsuit helps people in getting appropriate and fair compensation for all sorts of financial and emotional losses. People who file cases against the makers of Xarelto usually accuse them of numerous counts of negligence and failing to warn the users.
The Meldofsky Firm works with clients from all over the United States who’ve suffered injuries from Xarelto. They are based in California but they offer their services to residents of other states of the United States as well with local counsel. The team at the Meldofsky Firm commits to treating its clients with compassion and respect, every step of the way.
A spokesperson from Meldofsky firm told our representative, “We, at Meldofsky Firm are licensed to practice law. We also undertake representation of clients nationwide with local counsels. We take speedy and aggressive legal pathway and claim for complete justice on behalf of victims who have suffered from losses due to the consumption of Xarelto. Since Xarelto was approved by FDA on July 1st 2011, we only deal with clients who were prescribed Xarelto between July 2011 till now. The clients must have been prescribed the medicine by a physician in order to prevent or clear blood clots or in order to prevent strokes and heart attacks.”
The spokesperson further added, “We take pride in the fact that we provide our clients with hard-hitting legal counseling. A lot of times, victims are made to feel as if they are being neglected by the justice system of the country. At Meldofsky Firm, we never overlook the emotional aspects of a legal issue and promise to provide our esteemed clients with a balanced and compassionate legal counseling along with an extremely aggressive advocacy for trials. With our legal team by the side of our clients, they can feel confident that we are fighting and demanding justice on their behalf. More particularly, our team is not afraid of fighting back against the major enterprises that have landed our clients or their families in emotional turmoil and physical pain.”
About Meldofsky Firm
The Meldofsky Firm focuses on defective device and dangerous drug injury cases. They go an extra mile to provide their clients with the resources and services they need to seek compensation following an injury or wrongful death.
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Xarelto Lawsuits Mount In Recent Months
Jul 10, 2015 | Righting Injustice
By Jennifer Walker-Journey
Lawsuits involving the bleeding side effects with the blood thinnerXarelto have seen a steady increase in recent months according to an analysis of statistics from the U.S. Judicial Panel on MultidistrictLitigation through mid-June.
The biggest increases in new filings were seen in products liability litigation before U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The lawsuits target Xarelto makers Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The lawsuits allege the drug makers did not adequately warn of major bleeding events including gastrointestinal bleeds and brain hemorrhages associated with use of the drug.
Xarelto is in a new class of anticoagulants designed to go head-to-head against the long-used warfarin for the treatment and prevention of blood clots in some patients, and the prevention of strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. The drug was introduced in 2011 and soon becaome a blockbuster medication.
Xarelto offered more convenience than warfarin because patients taking Xarelto did not have to be monitored on a regular basis. However, unlike warfarin, there is no antidote to reverse the blood thinning effects of Xarelto when patients experience a major bleed.
The Xarelto lawsuits were consolidated in December and the first bellwether trial is tentatively planned for August 1, 2016.
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Bellwether Trial Dates Scheduled for Xarelto MDL
Jul 13, 2015 | The Legal Examiner
By Eric T. Chaffin
In December 2014, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) consolidated all federal Xarelto lawsuits into one court in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Since then, all product liability complaints concerning Xarelto (rivaroxaban) filed in federal court have been transferred to Louisiana for pre-trial proceedings. Managing all these cases in one court is expected to help increase efficiency, preserve judicial resources, and reduce duplicative discovery and conflicting rulings.
Both parties have been working to move litigation forward. So far, there are over 500 cases pending, with plaintiffs claiming that Xarelto manufacturers Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG failed to provide adequate warnings about the serious risks of gastrointestinal bleeding, blood clots, and brain hemorrhaging. After a recent status conference on June 22, 2015, District Court Judge Fallon indicated that the first bellwether trial would be held on August 1, 2016.
Xarelto MDL Prepares for Bellwether Trials
When courts manage the pre-trial proceedings in large litigation such as this one with Xarelto, the goal is to combine resources to gather the facts and present them to a handful of juries in bellwether trials. Both parties then witness these trials to help determine how juries may react to the evidence. In many cases, bellwether trials can set the stage for future negotiations and potential settlements between the parties, encouraging a more rapid resolution to the litigation.
In the minutes from the June 22nd status conference, the court indicated the first trial would be held on August 1, 2016. They also scheduled three more trials:
• August 22, 2016
• September 12, 2016
• October 17, 2016They also indicated that the first two trials will take place in the Eastern District of Louisiana, while the third will take place in the Southern District of Texas, and the fourth in the Southern District of Mississippi.
To determine which cases will go to trial, both sides will begin by contributing suggestions to create a pool of 50 plaintiffs. That pool will then be narrowed down in the coming months, and the bellwether trials chosen randomly from the final groups.
Xarelto Science Day
As part of the pre-trial proceedings, both parties participated in a “science day” on June 11, 2015. The purpose was to cover topics like how Xarelto works, it’s side effects, the scientific literature associated with it, general information concerning the conditions it’s used to treat (atrial fibrillation and anti-coagulation), and which patients are likely to take it.
Each side received just under two hours to present their information. Doctors and scientists were present to help explain the more difficult medical and scientific concepts.
Xarelto Associated with Serious Bleeding Events
The FDA approved Xarelto in 2011 to reduce the risk of blood clots in patients going through hip and knee replacement surgery. They later approved it to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.
Within just a year of the drug’s approval, however, it was linked with a number of adverse events, including gastrointestinal bleeding, blood clots, pulmonary embolism, stroke, and more. The Institute of Safe Medicine Practices (ISMP) reported in their QuarterWatch publication that by the first quarter of 2013, Xarelto had been linked to 680 reports of problems—outnumbering those associated with Pradaxa, another newer anticoagulant.
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Xarelto Bleeding Side Effects and Lawsuits Increasing
Jul 13, 2015 | Dallas Fort Worth Injury Worth Lawyer Blog
By Dr. Shezad Malik
Xarelto is under fire, if you follow the allegations in the over 550 lawsuits filed to date. Xarelto is one of the newer oral anticoagulant medications that has been approved by the FDA. The federal Xarelto personal injury and product liability claims are centralized before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Xarelto is one of the newer oral anticoagulant medications that has been approved by the FDA.
Xarelto Personal Injury Bleeding and Death Cases Over 550
Bayer and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) as co-developers, are exposed to at least 552 bleeding cases in the federal multi-district litigation (MDL), according to a Docket Report issued by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, with thousands more on the way.
U.S. District Judge Fallon presiding over all federal Xarelto bleeding lawsuits has indicated a series of bellwether trials in the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) may begin by August 2016.
Judge Fallon has indicated that a small group of “bellwether” cases will be selected for early trial dates. Accordingly, it has been proposed that fifty plaintiffs be selected for a “pool” of bellwether cases, which will go through case-specific discovery in preparation for a series of trials in 2016.
According to experts, the final tally may exceed several thousands before the litigation is settled. The plaintiffs blame the manufacturers for the severe, and often fatal bleeding injuries that were caused by Xarelto side effects.
Xarelto Lack of Adequate Warnings
Plaintiffs allege that the drug makers neglected to adequately warn about the risks associated with the new-generation anticoagulant and the lack of an effective antidote for Xarelto, in the event of uncontrollable bleeding.
Xarelto Uncontrollable Bleeding Risks
Xarelto (rivaroxoaban) is a new-generation anticoagulant approved by the FDA in 2011 as a replacement for Coumadin (warfarin). Coumadin, has been the “gold standard” medication for prevention of blood clots and strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm abnormality for the past 60 years.
All blood thinners carry a risk of bleeding, BUT Xarelto has been linked to a severe injuries as more patients are transferred over to the new blood thinner.
Xarelto has been touted as a safer alternative to Coumadin, with the drug makers promoting that it is easier to use, since it does not require regular blood tests to measure its effectiveness.
According to several recent studies there are concerns about those claims, with researchers noting that Xarelto blood tests may help doctors identify patients at the greatest risk of bleeding. Additionally, plaintiffs blame the drug makers for withholding critical information about the lack of a Xarelto reversal agent, which doctors could use to stop uncontrollable hemorrhaging.
Coumadin’s blood thinning effects can be quickly reversed in an emergency, there is no similar antidote for Xarelto.
Xarelto is a $Billion Dollar Blockbuster Drug
According to court documents, Xarelto has raked in over $2 billion in sales nationwide with over one million prescriptions written by 2013, two years after the drug’s introduction into the market. Xarelto is a huge cash cow for the pharma division at J&J.
Xarelto, has grabbed a 32 percent market share in the highly competitive anticoagulant market, significantly ahead of Boehringer’s Pradaxa and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Eliquis, the other two new anticoagulants in the market. The Xarelto pony is way ahead in the three way pony race.
Company sales representatives continued to tout Xarelto as a convenient alternative to the established blood-thinner warfarin, but by the end of 2012, there had been 2,080 Xarelto-related injuries, including 151 deaths.
Xarelto Federal MDL Lawsuits
The MDL has an important role in streamlining the litigation process, as all plaintiffs and defendants are under one roof, coordinate discovery and the bellwether trials can be set to determine the strength of the claims.
As part of the coordinated pretrial proceedings, it is common in complex pharmaceutical and medical device mass tort litigation, that a small group of cases will be selected as “bellwether” cases.
These lawsuits will be prepared for early trial dates to help the parties determine how juries may respond to certain evidence and similar testimony that is likely to be repeated throughout the litigation.
Pradaxa, which is another new-generation anticoagulant introduced by Boehringer Ingelheim in October 2010, one year before Xarelto hit the market. More than 4,000 Pradaxa lawsuits were filed by users of that drug who suffered bleeding injuries. Boehringer Ingelheim ultimately agreed to pay $650 million in Pradaxa settlements, with an average of about $150,000 per claim.
Xarelto State Court Actions
There are several hundred more cases pending in various state courts nationwide, including about 170 pending in Pennsylvania state court, where a Xarelto mass tort was established in January.
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Xarelto Users Face Serious Internal Bleeding Risks
Jul 13, 2015 | Top Class Actions
By Ashley Vanover
Xarelto is a blood thinner medication, similar to Pradaxa and Coumadin (warfarin), used to reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythms) not caused by heart valve problems.
Patients taking the oral anticoagulant have reported serous side effects, including internal bleeding and hemorrhaging for which there is no antidote.
Xarelto Lacks Bleeding Antidote
Xarelto, generically known as rivaroxaban, helps patients with atrial fibrillation lower their chances of having a stroke by preventing blood clots from forming.
The prescription medication also prevents blood clots from forming in patients who undergo knee or hip replacement surgery. The blood thinner is also used in general to prevent blood clots from forming in veins deep within the body (deep vein thrombosis) and in the lungs (pulmonary embolism).
Xarelto is manufactured by Bayer and marketed in the United States by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson. There is no antidote for Xarelto bleeding; the same is true for other new generation anticoagulants such as Praxdaxa or Eliquis
In addition, there isn’t any specific treatment with proven effectiveness for handling severe bleeding linked to these anti-clotting drugs.
Xarelto Side Effects
The most commonly reported side effect of the blood thinner is uncontrolled bleeding, and severe internal bleeding. Other known complications include:
Red, pink or brown urine
Bright red or black stools
Vomiting blood or vomit that looks like “coffee grounds”
Unexpected or long-term bleeding
Pain, swelling, or new drainage at wound sites
In approving the prescription blood thinner in November 2011 for treating patients with atrial fibrillation, the FDA issued its most serious warning, called a “black box warning” that patients who suddenly stop taking Xarelto are at an increased risk for stroke if the medication is not replaced by another blood thinner to prevent a blood clot from developing.
The FDA further warned that epidural or spinal hematomas have occurred in patients taking Xarelto who were receiving anesthesia or undergoing spinal puncture. The hematomas could result in long-term or permanent paralysis.Xarelto Lawsuits
The anticoagulant drug Xarelto has been linked to serious internal bleeding and other serious side effects. While the drug has been shown to require less intensive patient monitoring than its major competitor warfarin, reports have shown that in some patients, Xarelto may cause life-threatening blood clots and potentially irreversible internal bleeding episodes.
Many Xarelto lawsuits similarly accuse the drug companies of falsely claiming that Xarelto users do not need to undergo routine testing for Xarelto bleeding or blood clots and that patients were not warned that Xarelto does not have a reversal agent, unlike warfarin, which can be counteracted with a single dose of Vitamin K when bleeding events occur.
The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has agreed to centralize all federally-filed Xarelto Lawsuits into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) to be established in the U.S. District Court, in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Bayer Healthcare and Janssen Pharmaceuticals now face over 300 Xarelto injury lawsuits with more than a thousand claims expected to be filed against the company by trial time, with all claimants expected to bring forth similar allegations that the company failed to warn them of the serious, and sometimes deadly, side effects of the popular blood-thinner.
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The Risks of Blood Thinner Injuries
Jul 14, 2015 | Ferrer, Poirot & Wansbrough | Injury Law Blog
By Keith Adkins
Abnormal heart rhythms can signal serious health risks. Patients suffering from this condition have an increased danger of developing blood clots, which can cause a heart attack, stroke, or even death.
Luckily, there are medications on the market—known as blood thinners—that can prevent blood clots. However, these drugs can present increased chances of uncontrollable bleeding events, which has led to blood thinner injury lawsuits. Some of the medications include:
Pradaxa®- The 88th best-selling drug in the United States is used to prevent blood clots and is typically prescribed to patients over age 60. More than 2,000 lawsuits have been filed in connection to excessive bleeding patients suffered while taking the drug.
Xarelto®- Xarelto is a popular oral prescription blood-thinning drug, but it has no antidote to prevent major bleeding events.
Coumadin®- While it is one of the most commonly used blood thinners in the United States, an article from The Washington Post says a large number of uncontrollable bleeding events associated with the drug occur in nursing homes each year.
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$4 Million Xarelto Lawsuit Added to Xarelto MDL
Jul 14, 2015 | Lopez McHugh LLP
By Product News and Recalls
According to the Madison Record, a $4.35 million Madison County Xarelto lawsuit has been transferred to the multidistrict litigation court, where it joins roughly 250 similar Xarelto lawsuits. The lawsuit stems from a 90-count complaint filed in January against the various companies responsible for Xarelto, including Bayer and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The plaintiff has accused the manufacturers of Xarelto of overstating the efficacy of their drug and failing to disclose Xarelto’s increased risk of bleeding.
Xarelto was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011 for use as an anticoagulant, or blood-thinning drug. It is intended to prevent blood clotting in patients undergoing certain procedures or with irregular heartbeats. However, many patients have reported that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson’s drug can cause severe or fatal bleeding. Xarelto lawsuits allege that the anticoagulant did not receive proper testing before it was introduced to the market, and that certain side effects caused by Xarelto were understated or even concealed to secure sales.
The Madison County lawsuit alleges that the companies behind Xarelto marketed their product as a safe, effective way to prevent embolisms and stroke despite evidence to the contrary. Clinical trials conducted before Xarelto’s release indicated an increased risk of bleeding; but according to the plaintiff, the Xarelto manufacturers excluded this information when promoting their drug. The lawsuit states that the makers of Xarelto spent at least $11 million dollars promoting their drug, and ended up with roughly $582 million in sales in 2011.
The Madison Record cites allegations of “strict product liability, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, common law fraud, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation and strict products liability.”
Speak with a doctor or physician before making any changes to your health care plan. If you or someone you know suffered severe bleeding after taking Xarelto, you should contact Lopez McHugh to speak free of charge with one of our experienced Xarelto lawyers.
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Xarelto Use Doubles Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Jul 15, 2015 | Top Class Actions
By Amanda Antell
While reports have been surfacing for some time that the popular anticoagulant Xarelto induces major internal bleeding injuries, a recent study suggests that Xarelto may double the risk for gastrointestinal bleeding when compared to an older anticoagulant, Warfain.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, compared the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding by reviewing data from 45,000 patients who took either Xarelto or Warfarin. The study results indicated that patients taking Xarelto were at twice the risk of suffering a gastrointestinal bleeding event, compared to patients on Warfain.
Based on the large number of Xarelto injury reports submitted to the FDA, many experts were not surprised by the study’s findings. In addition to injury reports, injured consumers have been filing lawsuits against Xarelto’s manufacturers, Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The Xarelto lawsuits allege that the manufacturers failed to warn consumers about possible Xarelto complications.
Plaintiffs in these Xarelto suits were prescribed Xarelto to treat atrial fibrillation and to protect against stroke, but ended up suffering from severe, uncontrollable bleeding instead.
Overview of Xarelto Bleeding Complications
The FDA approved Xarelto in 2011 to prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation patients or patients who had knee surgery. The drug is one of several new-generation anticoagulants that were released to compete with the traditional blood thinner Warfarin. The new-generation anticoagulants were marketed as being more convenient and faster acting than Warfarin, but did not come with an antidote in the case of internal bleeding.
In addition to lacking an approved stopping agent in the case of internal bleeding, the new generation anticoagulants do not require patients to regularly see their doctors. While patients enjoy the convenience of the newer drugs like Xarelto, experts believe that many bleeding incidents would have been prevented if Xarelto patients were required to receive follow-up testing.
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Internal Bleeding Lawsuits Are Being Filed in Oklahoma
Jul 14, 2015 | Blood Thinner Help
By Marc Goldich
What is Xarelto?
Xarelto is a prescription blood thinner drug that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in 2011. Since its approval, 11 million prescriptions for the drug have been written across the country. Xarelto is different from other blood thinners on the market because it is an Xa inhibitor. Xa inhibitors block a chemical in the blood called Thrombin, which is responsible for making the blood clot. Xarelto is usually prescribed to patients who have recently had a hip or knee replacement surgery or who are experiencing excessive blood clots. Xarelto is made up of the drug rivaroxaban.
The Dangers of Xarelto Usage
Xarelto is more dangerous than other blood thinners on the market because it does not have a reversal antidote. In the case of blood thinners other than Xarelto, such as Warfarin, drugs exist that will counteract the effects of the blood thinner and allow the blood to clot. If a patient taking Warfarin experiences an injury, in an emergency situation a doctor can administer Vitamin K or protamine sulfate to counter act the anti-coagulant effects of the drug and help the blood clot. If a patient is taking Xarelto and experiences an injury that causes internal bleeding, there is no way to make the blood clot. The lack of a reversal antidote makes Xarelto the cause for a number of injuries that are caused by uncontrollable internal bleeding. The uncontrollable internal bleeding is one of the two main ways that Xarelto can cause dangerous side effects and because of these risks, the FDA has attached two ‘Black Box’ warnings to Xarelto. The Black Box warning is the strictest warning that the FDA can apply to a drug short of recalling it. For more information on Xarelto’s side effects and the warnings that are attached to the drug, visit our Xarelto Side Effects page.
Uncontrollable Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding is especially dangerous because it can be hard to diagnose. External bleeding can immediatly be seen and felt, but internal bleeding can be happening for hours until the individual begins to feel symptoms. Internal bleeding can be caused by a seemingly minor injury, such as a bump or fall, and if gone unchecked for a period of time, can be severe. Internal bleeding causes blood to pool around organs, cutting off their supply to fresh, oxygenated blood. This can cause the organs distress and to eventually shut down. Internal bleeding can be more serious depending on where it occurs in the body. Internal bleeding in the abdominal area is one of the more dangerous places because of the high concentration of organs in that area. Internal bleeding in the brain is also very dangerous because blood pooling in the brain can starve brain cells of oxygen, causing them to shut down and die. A bleed in the brain can also cause strokes.Excess Blood Clots
If a Xarelto user suddenly stops taking the drug, they are at risk for excessive blood clots. Xarelto users who stopped taking the drug prematurely have reported cases of deep vein thrombosis, where blood clots form in the deep veins of the arms and then travel to other parts of the body and causing blockages. One of the most reported incidents was pulmonary embolism, a condition that can be caused by deep vein thrombosis where a blood clot causes a blockage in the lungs. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, like internal bleeding, are notoriously difficult to diagnose early and that is what makes them so serious.
Internal Bleeding Incidents in Oklahoma
Our team at Blood Thinner Help has been able to use known data to estimate the number of injuries that may have been caused by Xarelto in Oklahoma. We are able to find these numbers by comparing the United States population at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census to the number of prescriptions that have been written in the United States, then comparing these numbers to the population of Oklahoma and the population of its top five most populous cities. The population of Oklahoma at the time of the U.S. Census was 3,751,351. We have estimated that since Xarelto’s release, about 2272 Oklahoma residents total across the entire state have experienced injuries from Xarelto.
Oklahoma’s most populous cities are listed below:
Oklahoma City – 579,999
Tulsa – 391,906Norman – 110,925
Broken Arrow – 98,850
Lawton – 96,867
Estimated Number of Injuries caused by Xarelto:
Oklahoma City – 351
Tulsa – 237
Norman – 67
Broken Arrow – 60
Lawton – 58
Do I Have a Xarelto Lawsuit?
It is important to be aware of your legal rights surrounding Xarelto. If you or a loved one have experienced any of the injuries or adverse side effects that have been described in this article, you may be entitled to compensation. Xarelto lawsuits are being filed all around the country and our Xarelto lawyers in Oklahoma are here to help yours be next. You probably have many questions at this point in the process and we are here to help you. Do not hesitate to contact us for a free case evaluation and consultation.
Our Xarelto Lawyers
The Xarelto lawyers that are directly connected to Blood Thinner Help are licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and Virginia, but we have developed a large network of relationships with lawyers in every state in the country. We will be able to refer you to one of these lawyers who will be able to help you bring your case forward locally. The Xarelto lawyers that we work with are very experienced in the field of pharmaceutical law and have experience bringing cases against big pharma companies. They will work with you closely and give your case the attention that it deserves.
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New Class Of Blood Thinners Linked To Serious Bleeding Risks
Jul 15, 2015 | Righting Injustice
By Jennifer Walker-Journey
Makers of the novel new anticoagulants Pradaxa, Xarelto and Eliquis have shelled out a lot of money to advertise their blood thinners directly to consumers, but what may not be as obvious is how much these drug companies are paying doctors to tout the benefits of their drugs.
According to Pro Publica, which reports an analysis of Sunshine Act data, Pfizer and Bristol-Myers paid $8 million to doctors to talk up Eliquis during the last five months of 2013. Bayer and Johnson & Johnson reportedly paid $6.93 million to doctors to promote Xarelto, and Boehringer Ingelheim gave $4.43 million to doctors on behalf of Pradaxa.
For reference, the amount Pfizer and Bristol-Myers paid doctors on behalf of Eliquis was the second largest amount devoted to any single drug, second only to Novo Nordisk’s type 2 diabetes treatment Victoza. Xarelto ranked sixth and Pradaxa, 13th.
The new class of blood thinners, designed to prevent or treat blood clots in some patients, hit the market beginning in 2010, going head-to-head against the long-used warfarin for the treatment of the common heart rhythm ailment atrial fibrillation. The drugs were touted as being more convenient than warfarin, which carries strict dietary requirements and regular monitoring. But unlike warfarin, there is no antidote to reverse the blood thinning effects of the neweranticoagulants.
Pradaxa, the first of the new blood thinners to be approved, was the first to get hit with a series of lawsuits claiming the drug company did not adequately warn of bleeding risks with Pradaxa. Last year, Boehringer Ingelheim paid about $650 million to settle bleeding claims with its drug.
Now lawsuits are targeting Xarelto, claiming the drug was not thoroughly tested to flesh out serious bleeding events, which include gastrointestinal bleeds, brain hemorrhages and bleeding deaths.
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Xarelto Fighting to Change its Bad Reputation
Jul 15, 2015 | Citizens Report
By Citizens Report
Xarelto has been an important product for both Bayer and Johnson & Johnson since its introduction. It is an anticoagulant that has lead its field and performed better than all of its competitors. Despite its popular numbers, Xarelto has had trouble fighting the idea that it is an inferior product than its biggest rival, Eliquis. The general feeling permeating throughout the anticoagulant market is that Eliquis is more effective and a better solution than Xarelto. This idea comes from trials that examined the effectiveness of both Xarelto and Eliquis. In the trials, Eliquis came out faring better.
Bayer and Johnson & Johnson Believe These Results are Wrong
Both of the pharmaceutical companies have argued that these trials did not accurately reflect the efficacy of the drugs. They contend that the trials used patients that were in a more critical condition. Bayer and Johnson & Johnson believe that because of the patients more severe states, the drug fared worse than its rival, Eliquis.
Bayer has Launched a Campaign to Fight this Perception
The German pharmaceutical giant hopes that it can change the public’s perception of Xarelto and maintain its hold as the number one anticoagulant on the market even with the rising popularity of Eliquis.
When Eliquis was first introduced, it got off to a slow start. Eliquis is the mutual collaboration between Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. In the past two years it has seen tremendous growth, going from grossing $146 million up to $774 million the next year.
Regardless of the competition gaining traction, Bayer and Johnson & Johnson should have little to fear. There are more prescriptions written in the United States for Xarelto than for all of its other competitors combined. The two companies have also managed to maintain their current labeling and have avoided a change to add more of the dangerous side effects to their packaging. It is also likely that Xarelto will continue with its current competitive pricing and availability, which indicates that will not experience a significant change in sales or use.
While Xarelto continues to command market dominance, it does have a history of dangerous complaints filed against it. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against it over the years due its many dangerous side effects including severe bleeding and sometimes death.
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Getting Justice With a Xarelto Lawsuit
Jul 15, 2015 | Jones Ward Trial Attorneys
By JonesWardPLC
Have you or a loved one taken Xarelto to treat or prevent blood clots? Did you suffer from uncontrollable bleeding? Thousands of men and women across the country have experienced dangerous Xarelto side effects. If you think you’ve been affected, stand up for your rights and share your story.
Is Xarelto unsafe?
Yes, Xarelto is an unsafe medication because the risks outweigh the benefits. People who have taken Xarelto have suffered severe bleeding events that have sometimes led to death. This is because Xarelto thins the blood and prevents clotting. If you were to experience even a small cut, your blood would not clot to prevent bleeding out. Other blood-thinning drugs also carry this risk but the difference here lies in the fact that Xarelto has no antidote. This means that, unlike other blood-thinning medications, there is no way to stop the bleeding if you’ve taken Xarelto. Even if you arrived at the emergency room in good time, doctors would have to wait for the drug to flush out of your system before anything could be done, which can take up to 24 hours!
Have other victims filed Xarelto lawsuits?
Several victims have filed lawsuits against Xarelto’s manufacturer Bayer and Johnson & Johnson due to the company’s negligence, false marketing practices, and failure to warn the public of the potential risks of Xarelto. One woman has filed a lawsuit on behalf of her deceased husband, who died due to Xarelto complications. Yet another family member has come forward, claiming that her father died from a bleed on the brain caused by Xarelto. He died after only 9 days on the drug.
Bayer and Johnson & Johnson knew of the potential dangers of Xarelto, such as the bleeding risk and the fact that it has no reversal agent, well before they started promoting it as a safe and effective drug. It has also been claimed that the company offered kickbacks to doctors to get them to prescribe Xarelto to their patients.
How do I file a Xarelto lawsuit?
Filing a Xarelto lawsuit doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming. The legal team at Jones Ward is ready to help you every step of the way. If you think Xarelto may have affected you or a family member, get in touch today. Fill out our free online form or call 888-595-2922 to get the information you need.
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Xarelto Multidistrct Litigation Sets Bellwether Trial Dates for 2016
Jul 16, 2015 | Texas Injury Law Blog
By Majed Nachawati
Since December 2014, all federal Xarelto lawsuits have been consolidated in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Any federal lawsuits filed against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG, the manufacturers of Xarelto (rivaroxaban), would have been transferred to the Louisiana court for pre-trial proceedings. By moving all cases into one court, federal judges expect to increase efficiency by all parties involved.
Plaintiffs who have brought forth lawsuits against these manufacturers allege that they were not adequately warned about the potentially deadly side effects of Xarelto. Many have claimed that they experienced serious gastrointestinal bleeding, blood clots and brain hemorrhaging after taking the anticoagulant. By consolidating these similar cases, the hope is that litigants will be able to combine resources and present them in a more productive way. So far, the four following trial dates have been set for 2016: August 1, August 22, September 12, and October 17.
Bellwether trials such as these are proposed in order to set examples for future negotiations and settlements between both parties. Given the growing number of Xarelto cases being brought against Janseen and Bayer, these trial cases may be extremely helpful for other patients who wish to seek legal recourse and monetary compensation after being harmed by Xarelto.
Legal Commentary
Xarelto attorneys within our firm are studying, examining and investigating current Xarelto claims on behalf of people and their families who may have been injured by the drug. Some of the side effects include hemorrhaging, internal bleeding, stroke and or death. If you or a loved one has experienced any side effects while taking Xarelto, contact our Xarelto lawyers to discuss the facts of your potential case. We are available by phone for a free consultation at1.866.705.7584 or by email at mn@fnlawfirm.com.About the Author
Majed Nachawati is a dedicated Xarelto Lawyer with a focus on representing victims and families harmed by this dangerous drug on a nationwide basis. Mr. Nachawati has resolved numerous dangerous drug medication cases through trial and settlement that have resulted in seven and eight figure confidential settlements. He is on the Grievance Committee for the State Bar of Texas. He is licensed to practice in the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of Texas. Mr. Nachawati is a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the Board of Directors for Public Justice, a Leaders’ Forum and PAC member of the American Association for Justice. Mr. Nachawati has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly Magazine for the past six consecutive years for legal excellence, in connection with noteworthy settlements for pharmaceutical injury cases. Mr. Nachawati is also a member of The Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Mr. Nachawati can be reached by email at mn@fnlawfirm.com or by calling 1.866.705.7584. -
Xarelto May Carry High Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Jul 17, 2015 | Top Class Actions
By Melissa LaFreniere
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal indicates that the widely prescribed anticoagulant Xarelto may carry twice the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding when compared to the more traditional blood thinner Warfarin (Coumadin).
More than 45,000 anticoagulant patients were studied in the U.S. with the goal of determining which blood thinner poses the greatest risk of aninternal bleeding side effect. Researchers found that those patients on Xarelto had double the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding over those taking Warfarin. Xarelto Overview
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xarelto in 2011 as a blood clot treatment for atrial fibrillation patients, or to be used after hip or knee replacement surgery. When it was introduced in the U.S., it was marketed as a more convenient blood thinner due in part to not requiring monthly blood testing or having dietary restrictions. Xarelto manufacturers claim the medication is the #1 blood thinner in its class, with 11 million prescriptions in the U.S. alone.
However, in just a few short years the blood thinner has been named in thousands of adverse event reports filed with the FDA; hundreds of those cases claimed the medication caused a hemorrhage-related death.Xarelto Bleeding Complications
The drug was only months on the market before consumers started reporting serious Xarelto internal bleeding complications. Although promoted as a more convenient blood thinner, most consumers claim they were unaware that should a Xarelto bleeding event occur there would be no way to stop it.
Unlike Coumadin users who can be given a dose of vitamin K to get excessive bleeding under control, there is no reversal agent if internal bleeding occurs with Xarelto consumers. With Xarelto, patients must undergo multiple blood transfusions and lengthy hospital stays, as the only known way to stop Xarelto internal bleeding is to get the medication out of the system.
While Xarelto is suggested to double the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding, it has also been reported to have other serious side effects including:
Brain hemorrhaging
Abdominal bleeding
Low Blood Pressure
Bruising
Edema
Abnormal liver function
Reduced platelet levels
Dizziness
Hemorrhaging in the eyes
Nose Bleeds
Rectal Bleeding
Headache
Rapid Heartbeat
Muscle Pain
Xarelto Lawsuits Continue To Grow
Hundreds of Xarelto bleeding lawsuits have been filed by patients who accuse manufacturers Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Bayer Corp. of not adequately warning consumers of the serious internal bleeding risks that could occur with using the medication.
In general, plaintiffs claim that they were unaware that there was no available antidote should Xarelto internal bleeding occur. They also claim that the manufacturers did not adequately inform those in the medical community by claiming that the medication required no follow-up testing. Plaintiffs claim that had they known of the serious risks of gastrointestinal bleeding, they would not have taken Xarelto.
Contact an Xarelto attorney to find out if you should file a lawsuit as an individual or if it would be better for you to join a Xarelto class action lawsuit. Often times, filing an Xarelto lawsuit is the only way patients can financially recover from the medical costs they are required to pay in order to treat Xarelto internal bleeding.
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Iowa Xarelto Lawyers Filing Bleeding Injury Lawsuits
Jul 17, 2015 | Blood Thinner Help
By MArc Goldich
The popular drug Xarelto has come under intense scrutiny lately after research has linked the drug tosevere side effects including uncontrollable bleeding. Subsequently, lawsuits have been filed against pharmaceutical companies Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) and Bayer AG, claiming that their blockbuster blood thinner Xarelto led to internal bleeding which caused serious injuries and death.
Families throughout Iowa have already started the legal process by contacting qualified Xarelto lawyers.
If you suffered a bleeding injury while taking Xarelto, or lost a loved one who was taking Xarelto, you may be entitled to compensation.
Read below to learn more about Xarelto litigation in Iowa and what you can do.Xarelto: A Leading Blood Thinner In The US Market
Xarelto is the brand name given to rivaroxaban – a new type of prescription blood thinner known as a Novel Oral Anticoagulant (NOAC). Xarelto was originally released in the US market in 2011 after gaining FDA approval for reducing the risks of blood clots in patients who had undergone a knee or hip replacement surgery.
Since then Xarelto has received FDA approval for several other uses and is now approved for a total of six indications which are:
Reducing risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)
Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
Reduction of recurrence of DVT & PE
Prevention of DVT in knee replacement surgery
Prevention of DVT in hip replacement surgery
Heavy marketing of Xarelto has helped it to become the #1 blood thinner in its class in the US, leading to Xarelto being prescribed more than 11 million times in the US.
However, despite the drug’s success, recent studies have linked it to concerning side effects including uncontrollable internal bleeding which can lead to serious injury or death.
Irreversible Internal Bleeding Linked To Xarelto
Like all blood thinners, uncontrollable internal bleeding is a risk of taking Xarelto as a side effects. However, Xarelto is different than traditional blood thinners in several ways. One of the key differences between Xarelto and traditional blood thinners is the way in which it affects the blood clotting process.
Traditional blood thinners such as Warfarin, affect the blood thinning process by acting on vitamin-k dependent proteins. As a result, a large dose of vitamin k is often prescribed to reverse excessive bleeding in patients taking traditional anticoagulants.
On the hand, Xarelto is a selective inhibitor which acts on Factor Xa to reduce the risk of blood clotting. The problem is that there is no antidote for Xarelto which can be used to reverse excessive bleeding once it begins. The unfortunate result is that minor bleeds can quickly turn into major bleeding incidents for individuals prescribed Xarelto.
How Many Xarelto Victims Are There In Iowa?
According to the 2014 US Census Bureau, the Iowa population was approximately 3,107,126. By weighting the population of Iowa against the total US population, we estimate that of the 11 million total Xarelto prescription in the US, approximately 107,142 were prescribed to individuals in the State of Iowa.
Using incidence rates from clinical trials (specifically the Rocket AF study) we estimate that there could be as many as 1,821 people in Iowa who suffered a severe internal bleed that may have been linked to Xarelto. We further estimate the following bleeding incidents linked to Xarelto in Iowa’s five largest cities:Des Moines- 123Cedar Rapids- 76Davenport- 60Sioux City- 48Iowa City-43
Please note that these numbers are estimates based on our research and the actual number of major bleeding incidents linked to Xarelto may be different.Filing A Bleeding Injury Or Wrongful Death Lawsuit
If you took Xarelto and suffered an internal bleed that led to injury or death, it may have been caused by Xarelto.
Families throughout Iowa are filing lawsuits against Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson seeking to recover damages. However, it is important to work with an experienced team of lawyers committed to your recovery.
Contact BloodThinnerHelp.com Today
BloodThinnerHelp.com is sponsored by a group of attorneys dedicated to helping Xarelto victims pursue justice.
We have been contacted by many families, widowers and individuals who were seriously injured or lost a loved one due to an internal bleed, blood clotting, post surgical infection or related injury.
All of these events involved someone who was prescribed Xarelto to prevent blood clotting.
While our Xarelto lawyers are licensed to practice law in the states of PA, NJ, DC, MA, and VA, we are not licensed to practice in Iowa. However, because the defendants in this litigation perform substantial business within the states in which we are licensed to practice, we are able to file lawsuits in those states for families from all over the country.
If you would prefer to work with local counsel, we encourage you to contact us. Our extensive involvement in the Xarelto litigation means that we have excellent working relationships with Xarelto lawyers in Iowa and can help you get the process started.
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Xarelto Study Suggests Blood Thinner May Cross Placental Barrier
Jul 17, 2015 | Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Could Xarelto pose a risk to an unborn child? A newly-published study suggests that the medication is able to cross the human placental barrier when it is used by pregnant women. Whether this poses any danger to a developing fetus is not clear.
The study, which appeared last month in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, was conducted by researchers with The Motherisk Program at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Using an ex-vivo placenta perfusion model, and adding Xarelto to either the maternal or fetal circulation only, the study team was able to determine that there was “rapid transfer” of Xarelto from the mother to the fetus and from the fetus to the mother. A 69% transfer ratio was observed in both directions after just three hours.
While the study authors were able to conclude that Xarelto does cross the human placental barrier at a rapid rate, they did not draw any conclusions about its potential to actually harm a fetus. Among other things, the researchers noted that Xarelto’s active ingredient is highly bound to plasma protein, which suggests the amount of unbound drug that may reach the fetus is likely much lower. “Additional studies will need to explore its safety before administering rivaroxaban to a pregnant woman,” they wrote.
Other Xarelto Risks
Xarelto (rivaroxaban) was brought to the U.S. market in 2011. Because the drug’s pregnancy risks have not yet been determined, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has placed Xarelto in Pregnancy Category C. While animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, Xarelto’s label states that its potential benefits may warrant its use in pregnant women.
Like other blood thinners, Xarelto may cause episodes of serious internal bleeding. However, unlike an older anticoagulant called warfarin, no antidote has been approved to reverse Xarelto bleeding. The drug’s label also includes a black box warning that contains information about the increased risk of blood clot formation after premature discontinuation of the medication in the absence of adequate alternative anticoagulation.
More than 500 Xarelto lawsuits are currently pending in federal court, all of which were filed on behalf of patients who allegedly suffered serious complications related to uncontrollable internal bleeding. They accuse the drug’s manufacturers of failing to provide patients and doctors with adequate warnings regarding these risks, and of wrongly marketing Xarelto as a superior alternative to warfarin.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is already representing plaintiffs in Xarelto bleeding claims. If you were harmed by this drug, please call (888) 979-1182 to learn more about your available legal options.
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