Blood Thinner Lawsuit Alleges Xarelto Caused Life-Threatening Bleed

Janssen faces a new Xarelto blood thinner lawsuit alleging that manufacturers concealed the uncontrollable bleeding risks associated with the drug.

Plaintiff Cimone G. recently filed a blood thinner lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, and Bayer, claiming that the manufacturers knew of the bleeding risks associated with Xarelto but did not sufficiently warn patients and physicians.

Cimone says she was prescribed Xarelto for the treatment of deep venous thrombosis in April 2016. She took the drug until August 2016 when she allegedly suffered a severe gastrointestinal and gynecological bleed.

Cimone claims that her life-threatening bleed was a direct result of taking Xarelto.

If you were prescribed Xarelto only to suffer severe side effects, you may have grounds to file a blood thinner lawsuit. Contact the experienced Xarelto attorneys at McDonald Worley today for a free case evaluation. 

Xarelto Bleeding Risks

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is an anticoagulant drug often prescribed to treat deep vein thrombosis, treat pulmonary embolism, and reduce the risk of reoccurring embolism or stroke.

The drug was designed to be a competitor to warfarin which prevents clotting by manipulating the vitamin K in the body. Xarelto was marketed as a “better” alternative to warfarin because it allegedly does not require regular blood test monitoring and does not require dietary changes.

A clinical trial comparing Xarelto with warfarin found that Xarelto was not an inferior option to warfarin. However, according to the blood thinner lawsuit, the trial found that “bleeding from gastrointestinal sites, including upper, lower, and rectal sites, occurred more frequently in the [Xarelto] group, as did bleeding that led to a drop in the hemoglobin level or bleeding required transfusion.”

The blood thinner lawsuit argues that the drug manufacturers knew about the elevated bleeding risks with Xarelto yet did not warn the public during their aggressive promotional campaign for the drug.

“Defendants use the results of [clinical trials] to promote Xarelto in their promotional materials, including the Xarelto website, which tout the positive results of those studies,” the blood thinner lawsuit states. “However, Defendants’ promotional materials fail to similarly highlight the increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and bleeding that required transfusion, among other serious bleeding concerns.”

Despite the increased bleeding risks shown in clinical trials, Xarelto allegedly does not have an antidote. Warfarin and other anticoagulants have antidotes which can be provided to hospitals and used in the case of a life-threatening bleed.

The blood thinner lawsuit claims that there is no such antidote available for Xarelto patients with a life-threatening bleed, increasing the chance that an uncontrolled bleed could prove fatal.

“Defendants overstated the efficacy of Xarelto with respect to preventing stroke and systemic embolism, failed to adequately disclose to patients that there is no drug, agent, or means to reverse the anticoagulation effects of Xarelto, and that such irreversibility could have permanently disabling, life-threatening and fatal consequences,” the blood thinner lawsuit states.

Cimone accuses the defendants of negligence, strict products liability, breach of warranty, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and deceit, loss of consortium, and violation of consumer protection laws.

The blood thinner lawsuit seeks compensatory damages (for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and more), economic damages (for medical expenses, lost earnings, and more), punitive damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

The Xarelto Blood Thinner Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-04568-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

If you were prescribed Xarelto only to suffer severe side effects, you may have grounds to file a blood thinner lawsuit. Contact the experienced Xarelto attorneys at McDonald Worley today for a free case evaluation.