Bayer HealthCare and Janssen Pharmaceuticals are facing a new product liability lawsuit from a Tennessee woman alleging Xarelto internal bleeding side effects.

The claim alleges the pharmaceutical giants were aware of the risks of Xarelto internal bleeding side effects, but did not disclose this information to protect the drug’s market value.

Plaintiff Terri L. is filing this Xarelto lawsuit after experiencing serious internal bleeding complications, only a few months after she was first prescribed the medication.

In April 2015, Terri had been prescribed Xarelto to treat her deep vein thrombosis and had used the drug accordingly based on the warning label and her physician’s advice.

Even though she was diligent in following all safety precautions, she had suffered an internal bleeding event on Aug. 12, 2015. Upon arriving at the hospital, she was diagnosed with hematochezia and immediately received emergency treatment for her injury.

Terri had received treatment for the Xarelto internal bleeding side effects for the next two days, with her doctors confirming that Xarelto was a definite contributor to the complications.

Xarelto Internal Bleeding Side Effects

Xarelto was approved by the FDA in 2011 and was released as a joint effort between Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Bayer HealthCare.

This drug is the second in a series of new generation anticoagulants meant to compete directly against warfarin and provide new options to patients under threat from blood clot attacks.

Typically, Xarelto is prescribed to patients suffering from atrial fibrillation and are at a high risk for stroke, but can be prescribed for general blood clot prevention. This was the case for Terri, who had used the drug as intended but had still suffered serious Xarelto internal bleeding side effects.

Like other anticoagulants, Xarelto works by inhibiting the body’s clotting ability and increasing the body’s overall circulation process.

However this means that the body becomes unable to recover from minor internal bleeding events, which can turn fatal if not treated in time.

At this time, Xarelto does not have a readily available bleeding antidote in the case of internal bleeding events. This highly differs from warfarin, to which patients implement vitamin K to stop the internal bleeding.

Even though Xarelto internal bleeding side effects pose a serious risk to the patient’s life, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer HealthCare allegedly chose to omit this information.

Terri claims that the companies either new or should have known of the risks regarding Xarelto internal bleeding side effects, and warned patients against them.

She states she never would have used the medication if she had known the risks of Xarelto internal bleeding side effects. Terri is seeking compensation for all current and future medical bills incurring due to Xarelto, and is alleging multiple counts of negligence.

This Xarelto Lawsuit is Case No. 2:2016-cv-13335, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern Louisiana.