A lawsuit has been filed against Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals by the surviving spouse and heirs of a man who was allegedly fatally injured due to Pradaxa bleeding complications.

Plaintiff Laura W., the surviving spouse of Donald W. filed this Pradaxa lawsuit on behalf of her late husband, herself and their heirs after Donald died as an alleged result of taking the popular blood thinner medication.

Pradaxa is one of several new oral anticoagulants that was developed within the last decade. Prior to the development of Pradaxa and its contemporaries, warfarin was the staple anticoagulant drug for many decades.

Although warfarin was effective, it did require patients to be frequently monitored, and differing dosages of the drug needed to be given to help patients maintain a stable level in their blood. Additionally, it required patients to conform to a strict diet that avoided foods that might interfere with the medication’s effectiveness.

Pradaxa and the other new generation oral anticoagulants were marketed as superior to warfarin for their easier dosing, need for less frequent monitoring and absence of dietary restrictions for patients taking the drugs.

However, Pradaxa lacked something very important that warfarin did have when it was released onto the market: a reversal agent. For patients taking warfarin, if they experienced uncontrollable bleeding, it could be treated by receiving fresh frozen plasma or intravenous vitamin K to reverse the clotting effects and restore the body’s natural clotting mechanisms in order to stop an uncontrollable bleed.

This lack of reversal agent was a central issue in Donald’s lawsuit, as it states, “Prior to Donald [‘s] prescription Pradaxa, his prescribing physician received promotional materials and information from sales representatives of defendant that Pradaxa was more effective than warfarin in reducing strokes in patients with-valvular atrial fibrillation and was more convenient, without also adequately informing prescribing physicians that there was no reversal agent that could stop or control bleeding in patients taking Pradaxa.”

The Pradaxa lawsuit goes on to state that the makers of Pradaxa also failed to warn doctors in the emergency room, physicians and other medical professionals that there was a lack of a reversal agent or antidote for Pradaxa for the first five years it was on the market.

A reversal agent (Praxbind) was released in the fall of 2015 for those suffering Pradaxa bleeding complications. But this development proved to be too late for many patients, including Donald.

Donald experienced uncontrollable Pradaxa bleeding complications in April 2015, was rushed to the hospital, and died that same day. According to the lawsuit, Donald was 69 years old at the time of his death, and had a future life expectancy of approximately 12.46 years.

The Pradaxa bleeding complications lawsuit raises a number of allegations against the manufacturer including strict products liability for design defect, strict liability for failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and/or fraud, breach of express warranty, negligence per se, fraudulent concealment, punitive damages, pre-death injury and pain and suffering and wrongful death.

The plaintiffs are seeking a trial by jury and wish to recover all possible damages related to Donald’s wrongful death, Laura’s loss of consortium (spousal companionship) of her husband, costs of the action and any additional relief deemed just and appropriate by the Court.

The Pradaxa Bleeding Complications Lawsuit is Case No. 5:17-cv-00124-MTT, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Macon Division.