Product liability lawyers are currently seeking potential plaintiffs to bring Eliquis lawsuits against the drug manufacturers Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The Eliquis lawsuits often claim the drug manufacturers produced a dangerous and defective medication and failed to warn the medical community and general public about risks associated with taking the medication.

What is Eliquis?

Eliquis is a popular anticoagulant introduced to the market back in 2012. Generically known as apixaban, Eliquis is the third blood thinner in a new generation of anticoagulants.

The blood thinning medication is often prescribed by medical professionals for patients who are at risk for stroke and suffer from atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) as well as to prevent blood clots in patients who recently underwent knee or hip replacement surgery. Eliquis works by blocking necessary elements critical to the body’s blood clotting process.

Eliquis vs. Traditional Anticoagulants

Eliquis is often promoted as a medication that is superior to traditional blood thinning medications like warfarin. Warfarin requires its users to undergo strict dietary restrictions and constant blood monitoring, Eliquis does not. But unlike Eliquis, warfarin has a proven antidote.

If patients taking warfarin begin to experience internal bleeding a medical professional can administer a dose of vitamin K sometimes mixed with fresh or frozen plasma which serves as an antidote and helps the body begin clotting. No similar antidote has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Eliquis. The lack of an Eliquis antidote has led to the filing of thousands of product liability lawsuits across the nation.

Eliquis Side Effects

Although Eliquis is still relatively new to the market, the adverse event reports to the FDA have caused the medication to be ranked among the most dangerous medications on the market. Numerous patients taking the medication have experienced dangerous side effects including bleeding on the brain, intestinal bleeding, kidney bleeding, uncontrolled bleeding, deep vein thrombosis, and even death.

Overview of Eliquis Lawsuits

The new generation of blood thinners including Eliquis have been involved in thousands of lawsuits over the last few years, and product liability attorneys expect these numbers to increase. Plaintiffs can choose to bring Eliquis lawsuits individually or as a member of a class action lawsuit.

Bringing a lawsuit individually often gives the plaintiff more autonomy over the proceedings, while participating in a class action lawsuit can help spread the cost of litigation among all the members. The decision to bring an Eliquis lawsuit individually or as a member in a class action lawsuit should be made on a case by case basis with the advice of a legal professional.

Eliquis lawsuits against the pharmaceutical manufacturers generally allege that the companies violated consumer protection laws. Eliquis claims include breach of warranty, fraud and misrepresentation, negligence, and strict products liability. Awards and settlements from these Eliquis lawsuits will help victims of the pay both past and future medical bills as well as compensate the victims for the incredible pain and suffering they have been forced to endure. Lawsuits like these help hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their actions and serve to remind them that they owe a duty of care to the public.