The relative of a Louisiana woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson because of the woman’s Xarelto bleeding death mere months after she started taking it.

Xarelto belongs to a new class of anticoagulants that promote uniform doses in everyone, even though some patients tolerate it better than others.

Internal bleeding is a possible Xarelto side effect, and can range from minor bleeding to bleeding to death.

In fact, Xarelto bleeding injuries and failure to prevent a stroke or pulmonary embolism topped the list of adverse events submitted to the FDA last year, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). More than 1,100 patients died as a result.

According to the ISMP, “The anticoagulant rivaroxaban (XARELTO) accounted for 10,674 reports of fatal, disabling, and serious injury in the U.S., more than any other of the 1,395 identifiable drugs we regularly monitor in this category.”

The reason for so many Xarelto bleeding deaths is because there is no known antidote to stop the bleeding once it starts.

Xarelto Bleeding Death Lawsuit

The Xarelto bleeding death lawsuit states that Constance L. started taking Xarelto July 7, 2015. She suffered a gastrointestinal bleed and acute blood loss anemia. She required several blood transfusions in early August 2015.

She endured another gastrointestinal bleed also accompanied by acute blood loss anemia that required more blood transfusions again on Dec. 23, 2016. She died of her injuries on Jan. 2, 2016.

Xarelto More Effective Not Taken As Promoted

Xarelto is marketed as a single daily dose pill that does not require the monitoring of blood plasma levels.

This has been a huge selling point because its main competitor is warfarin (brand name Coumadin) which requires blood testing in order to maintain confidence that therapeutic levels remain constant.

However, in Xarelto’s own studies, the drug appears to be safer and more effective when the blood levels are monitored and when it is taken twice a day. This is not a well-publicized fact.

To prevent Xarelto bleeding death, the drug should be balanced in the system so that the blood’s clotting ability is reduced adequately to prevent a stroke, but not so much that it causes a major bleeding event.

Why Take Xarelto?

Xarelto is used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation that is not caused by a heart valve issue.  It is also prescribed to treat deep vein thrombosis, which can lead to blood clots in the lungs, known as pulmonary embolisms.

Xarelto also can be used to reduce the formation of a blood clot in the legs and lungs of people who have recently undergone knee or hip replacement surgery, or in those who have clotting issues due to certain chemotherapy treatments.

Xarelto Lawsuits

If you or someone you love has taken Xarelto and experienced uncontrollable bleeding, you could benefit from a class action lawsuit to obtain relief from pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages and other incurred expenses.

The Xarelto Bleeding Death Lawsuit is filed within the larger Xarelto multidistrict litigation, MDL No. 2592 in the United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana.