A New York woman recently filed a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging that she has suffered from anemia due to Xarelto, Janssen’s popular blood thinner drug.

According to the Xarelto lawsuit, the plaintiff, Sylvia T., began taking Xarelto at the direction of her doctor in January 2015, and continued until April 2015. However, the complaint claims, Sylvia stopped taking this medication because of serious side effects. Sylvia allegedly suffered from vaginal bleeding and anemia due to Xarelto, which forced her to stop taking the medication.

The anemia due to Xarelto that Sylvia allegedly suffered is essentially a deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin, a part of red blood cells. Anemia due to Xarelto or another causes can lead to weariness or fatigue, because organs do not receive what they need from the blood to properly function at capacity. Some problems with anemia may persist.

The Xarelto lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including strict liability, manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud, and several others.

Xarelto Background

Xarelto (also known by its generic name, rivaroxaban) is a popular blood thinner manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a prominent subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Xarelto was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back on July 1, 2011 in order to treat two major conditions: deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Xarelto was later also approved to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism.

Blood thinners are used to prevent blood clotting, which can lead to extremely serious conditions that, in some cases, can end up being fatal. In general, blood clots inside the body can be dangerous and need to be prevented. But in some instances, this clotting can actually perform a life-saving function. In extreme internal bleeding situations, the body uses blood clotting to slow the bleeding, which can prevent a person from losing too much blood.

However, unable to form these life-saving blood clots while on a blood thinner, the body has no other way of slowing the bleeding, increasing the risk of permanent injury or even death.

Anemia due to Xarelto usage is another risk of the drug, as this lawsuit alleges.

Filing a Xarelto Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has experienced Xarelto side effects, such as anemia due to Xarelto, you may be able to file a Xarelto lawsuit.

Of course, filing a Xarelto lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of someone who has suffered from Xarelto side effects, and cannot bring a loved one back to life in the case of the most serious complications. However, a Xarelto lawsuit can at least help to compensate for the financial expenses often incurred by medical bills and lost wages.

The Xarelto Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-06598-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.