A woman from Wisconsin recently filed a Xarelto drug lawsuit, alleging she suffered potentially fatal gastrointestinal bleeding from the anticoagulant medication.

Her Xarelto drug lawsuit alleges manufacturers Bayer HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson failed to warn her against the severity of the potential drug side effects, which prevented her from making an informed decision regarding her health.

Plaintiff Donna S. filed this Xarelto drug lawsuit soon after discovering other patients had suffered similar incidents of uncontrollable internal bleeding, with many of them filing similar claims and eventually forming a multidistrict litigation (MDL).

Donna says she had been prescribed the anticoagulant for typical treatment purposes on Sept. 10, 2015, but was taken off the medication on Nov. 5, 2015.

According to the Xarelto drug lawsuit, Donna’s prescription abruptly ended due to an uncontrollable gastrointestinal bleeding event that caused her to develop anemia. Donna reportedly required multiple blood transfusions and had to be hospitalized.

New Generation Anticoagulants

Xarelto is a new generation anticoagulant, which is typically prescribed to patients suffering from atrial fibrillation and who are at high risk for stroke. Anticoagulants work by inhibiting the body’s clotting mechanism, preventing the blood clots that can cause a stroke. However, this prevents the body from being able to recover from minor internal bleeding incidents that can quickly become fatal.

Xarelto was approved by the FDA in 2011, and was released a joint effort between Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare. Xarelto was released on year after fellow new generation anticoagulant Pradaxa, which was the first medication to be released for blood thinning purposes since warfarin in the 1960s.

The primary difference between new generation anticoagulants and warfarin is that the newer medications can be prescribed in a single dose. But when they were first introduced, they did not have a readily available bleeding antidote. Warfarin patients implement vitamin K to stop internal bleeding, while Praxbind and Andexxa are now available to counteract new generation anticoagulants.

Overview of Xarelto Bleeding Complications

While Xarelto has been on the market for over five years, it was not until very recently that a bleeding antidote was approved. In 2018, the FDA approved Andexxa for Xarelto patients suffering from uncontrollable internal bleeding incidents. Prior to this, there was no antidote for Xarelto bleeding except for transfusions.

If these bleeding antidotes are not implemented fast enough, it can be potentially fatal for patients. Even though Xarelto internal bleeding incidents can be potentially deadly to patients, patients claim Bayer and Johnson & Johnson allegedly failed to disclose this to patients.

At all times relevant, Donna says she relied on the product information and marketing statements provided by the companies. Donna states she would not have agreed to take Xarelto, if she had known about the potentially fatal bleeding complications.

Donna’s Xarelto drug lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2592, where it will stand alongside other plaintiff claims alleging similar bleeding complications. By joining an MDL, Donna’s claim will be streamlined through the litigation process and will avoid potential problems like conflicting rulings from different judges.

Donna is seeking multiple damages for negligence and failure to warn, along with any other relevant charges. Her Xarelto Drug Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-10441-EEF-MBN, filed in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana.