Amanda Antell  |  May 4, 2015

Category: Legal News

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Xarelto Side Effects Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

Indiana plaintiff Frederick B. is suing Bayer and Janssen Pharmaceuticals for the injuries he allegedly sustained from their anticoagulant product. Frederick claims that as a direct result of using Xarelto, he developed severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

Sometime in early 2013, Frederick was prescribed Xarelto to treat his atrial fibrillation by his physician, who had reviewed the defendant’s advertisements and favorable Xarelto medical studies, according to the Xarelto lawsuit. At all times while using Xarelto, Frederick allegedly followed all prescription instructions, along with the advice of his physician. However, this diligence allegedly did not protect Frederick from an internal bleeding event that occurred on May 7, 2013.

On this date, Frederick was diagnosed with severe gastrointestinal bleeding and required hospital intervention. His physician and other medical staff determined that it was likely the bleeding event was caused by an anticoagulant, based on diagnostic testing. While Frederick survived this ordeal, other patients cannot say the same as the FDA has received dozens of death reports linked to Xarelto, as well as other anticoagulants. It is important to note that other than Warfarin, anticoagulants like Xarelto currently have no reversal agents to stop internal bleeding.

Despite the severity of Xarelto risks, Janssen and Bayer allegedly chose to omit this information from Xarelto’s label. Even if the information was present on the drug’s label, the plaintiff states that the label did not adequately explain the risks of Xarelto bleeding, and neglected to mention the lack of a Xarelto bleeding antidote. After learning of the associated bleeding injuries, Frederick has taken legal action against the pharmaceutical giants.

Frederick further claims in the Xarelto lawsuit that the drug companies failed to protect him and other patients from the defects of their product, and failed to warn him against the risk of Xarelto bleeding injuries. Frederick’s lawyers claim that the defendants had the responsibility to warn their client and other Xarelto patients of the side effects of their drug, because they rely on the accuracy of the given information.

Frederick insists that he never would have used Xarelto if he has been informed about the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. So for being allegedly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug, Frederick is suing Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer Pharmaceuticals. The charges include: negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

Xarelto Complications

Xarelto was approved by the FDA on July 1, 2011, joining the anticoagulant market alongside Pradaxa and Warfarin. Similarly to Pradaxa, which was released the year previously, Xarelto is designed to treat patients with certain blood-clotting conditions like atrial fibrillation and is typically prescribed to patients who are at a high risk of experiencing stroke.

Since its release, Xarelto has dominated the anticoagulant market with sales garnering billions for its manufacturing companies Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson).  Xarelto is a part of the new generation anticoagulants that was meant to compete against Warfarin and is projected to be the 19th best-selling drug in the world by the year 2018. Along with other new generation blood thinners, Pradaxa and Eliquis, approved in 2012, Xarelto was advertised to be overtly superior to Warfarin with its fast-acting treatment mechanism and hassle-free prescription.

As mentioned before, Warfarin is the only anticoagulant with an approved internal bleeding remedy. However, Warfarin also requires patients to regularly see their doctors and undergo frequent dose adjustments and monitoring. Legal experts believe that if the newer anticoagulants, like Xarelto, had these same requirements, then numerous bleeding injuries could have been reported, even without a bleeding antidote.

The Xarelto Lawsuit is Case No. 3:15-cv-00857-W-WVG, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Xarelto attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Xarelto class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Xarelto lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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If you or a loved one took Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and suffered injuries such as uncontrollable internal bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhaging, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, you may have a legal claim. See if you qualify by filling out the short form below.

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