Janssen Research & Development LLC, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, faces another lawsuit alleging severe side effects for Xarelto users. This lawsuit joins growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) filed against the company.

Plaintiff Kristina B. filed the lawsuit in Louisiana federal court, claiming the alleged serious side effects for Xarelto users affected her without warning as well. The lawsuit was filed July 18, 2018.

Kristina, a resident of the state of Florida, says she began taking Xarelto from approximately Feb. 9, 2018 through Feb. 26, 2018. However, she alleges suffered vaginal bleeding on Feb. 20, 2018 and Feb. 26, 2018 — one of the alleged side effects for Xarelto.

The side effects for Xarelto lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including strict liability, manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, and violation of consumer protection laws/consumer fraud laws.

Kristina demands a trial by jury.

Overview: Lawsuits Over Side Effects for Xarelto Users

Kristina’s claim is filed as part of a large multidistrict litigation (MDL) centered on allegations that Xarelto causes patients to suffer serious internal bleeding injuries and other adverse side effects.

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help lower a patient’s risks to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and stroke.

It is prescribed orally to patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation, or an abnormal heart rhythm. Xarelto helps prevent the formation of blood clots in the body’s lower extremities, also known as deep vein thrombosis, and/or a pulmonary embolism, the condition in which one or more arteries in the lungs becomes blocked by a blood clot.

However, serious side effects for Xarelto users have been reported. Some of these complications include internal bleeding injuries, gastrointestinal bleeding, uncontrollable internal bleeding, hemorrhaging, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and ischemic stroke.

Additionally, according to the Mayo Clinic, common side effects for Xarelto patients include:

• Back pain
• Bleeding gums
• Bloody stools
• Coughing up blood
• Bowel or bladder dysfunction
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Leg weakness
• Numbness
• Paralysis
• Red or black, tarry stools
• Red or dark brown urine

Like Kristina, thousands of patients have reportedly suffered from internal bleeding side effects and other complications linked to Xarelto. To gain approval by the FDA, the lawsuits allege, trials conducted by the defendants to prove the drug’s efficacy and safety were flawed in nature and did not accurately reflect the information that was later presented to patients, the public, and medical community at large.

One of the main reasons for adverse side effects also stem from the drug’s previous lack of a reversal agent. While the drug’s reversal agent Andexxa (andexanet alfa) was recently approved, Xarelto lawsuits point out that for many suffering side effects for Xarelto use, there was no antidote. The companies are also being accused of negligence in failing to warn consumers of Xarelto’s internal bleeding side effects linked to the medication.

The Side Effects for Xarelto Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-06779-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Xarelto Lawsuit is MDL No. 2592, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.