Relatives of those who died after taking Pradaxa blood thinner are among the many plaintiffs behind a series of blood thinner lawsuits against the Pradaxa drug maker.

Pradaxa, or dabigatran, is a relatively new anticoagulant medication made by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. The company developed Pradaxa to compete with the much older anticoagulant warfarin.

One of Boehringer Ingelheim’s selling points for Pradaxa is that, unlike with warfarin, Pradaxa does not require regular blood tests to ensure correct dosage.

However, internal documents released in the course of litigation revealed that Boehringer Ingelheim was aware that such testing would be beneficial for managing the risk of bleeding. One email from a supervisor shows that she expressed concern that publishing information about the benefits of monitoring would hurt sales and make Pradaxa less competitive.

At the time Boehringer Ingelheim began selling the Pradaxa blood thinner, there was no antidote available that could control Pradaxa bleeding. Warfarin patients could get excessive bleeding under control by administering Vitamin K. But patients who suffered excessive bleeding while on Pradaxa, or who came to need previously unexpected emergency surgery, would simply have to wait for Pradaxa’s anticoagulant effect to wear off.

All anticoagulants come with a risk of excessive bleeding, but with Pradaxa that complication is the leading cause of death. A study of 800 medications by the Institute of Safe Medication Practices showed that in 2011 Pradaxa was linked to more deaths than any other drug reviewed.

Pradaxa Blood Thinner Lawsuits

Deaths related to Pradaxa have been the subjects of several blood thinner lawsuits brought by the deceased patients’ survivors:

When Betty K. of West Virginia was prescribed Pradaxa in October 2011, she did not know the drug had been linked to a higher risk of life-threatening injuries than warfarin, according to her relatives’ Pradaxa lawsuit. But in May 2013 Betty allegedly began to bleed uncontrollably. Betty died of her injuries a few months later, her relatives say.

In Florida, Roy W. took Pradaxa to reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications of his atrial fibrillation. In less than two months, he suffered two separate bouts of gastrointestinal bleeding and had died of his injuries, according to his daughter Karen. Karen then filed a Pradaxa lawsuit, claiming wrongful death.

The widow of a South Carolina man also blames his death on Pradaxa. Plaintiff Erma A. says her husband Jimmy suffered massive internal bleeding while taking Pradaxa, bleeding so severe that doctors were unable to save his life. Erma’s Pradaxa lawsuit accuses Boehringer Ingelheim of making and selling a dangerous product.

Loraine F. had been taking Pradaxa when she suffered a fall that led to an intracranial hemorrhage. According to her family’s Pradaxa lawsuit, doctors could not control her internal bleeding because of the Pradaxa she was taking. Loraine died within twenty-four hours of her fall.

Plaintiff Jeff G. of Nebraska says his wife Liesma had been prescribed Pradaxa to prevent stroke. She suffered an episode of uncontrollable internal bleeding, Jeff alleges, and that bleeding ultimately took her life. Jeff blames his wife’s death on the lack of an antidote for Pradaxa’s anticoagulant effect.

Boehringer Ingelheim has already agreed to pay $650 million to settle blood thinner lawsuits like these. A Pradaxa lawyer can give family members the best possible advice on how to proceed following the death of a loved one who had been taking Pradaxa.