The popular blood thinning drug Pradaxa, despite its widespread use, has been linked with serious bleeding complications.

Thousands of patients have come forward with claims against the drug’s manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, alleging that it failed to give adequate warning about the risk to patients and the medical community as a whole. The pharmaceutical company has already been targeted in thousands of lawsuits over serious side effects from its blood thinning drug Pradaxa.

Background of Pradaxa

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its approval to Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals’ blood thinning drug Pradaxa (also known as dabigatran) back in 2010. Pradaxa is one of several blood thinner options recently developed to replace the anticoagulant warfarin, which had remained the staple blood thinner option for decades. Since Pradaxa was first introduced to the market, millions of patients have already begun using the medication.

Unfortunately, despite the popularity of Pradaxa, it has been linked with a number of serious complications.

Of course, any medication or medical device should be expected to have certain side effects. But side effects are supposed to be included in warning labels, and the relative likelihood and severity of a given side effect should be outweighed by the drug’s clinical benefits. Patients claim that the side effects of the blood thinning drug Pradaxa are actually much worse than the relative benefit the drug provides, especially since there are safer alternatives.

Given the popularity and widespread usage of the drug, any adverse effects of Pradaxa may threaten the millions of people that have switched over to this blood thinner option.

Injuries Linked With Use of Pradaxa

It is in the nature of anticoagulants to cause excessive bruising and bleeding—they are called blood thinners for a reason. Anticoagulants prevent the body from being able to form blood clots as usual. Blood clots can cause a number of serious problems, which is why people take anticoagulants in the first place.

But there are beneficial uses for blood clots in some situations. For instance, when the body is experiencing excessive bleeding due to injury or illness, blood clots can help slow this bleeding down. If a person is taking the blood thinning drug Pradaxa or something similar, they are left unable to form these life-saving clots.

Fortunately, many blood thinners have antidotes to reverse their effects in case of a major bleeding problem. But for years, Pradaxa did not actually have this kind of antidote available, so its excessive bleeding side effects could not be reversed in case of emergency.

Excessive bleeding from Pradaxa can in turn lead to brain hemorrhaging or even death. In 2011 alone, there were 3,781 reported adverse events from Pradaxa. Over 500 of those adverse events were ultimately fatal.

Filing a Pradaxa Bleeding Side Effects Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has experienced excessive bleeding or other major side effects of the blood thinning drug Pradaxa, you may have cause for filing a Pradaxa lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by Pradaxa bleeding injury, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses and lost wages.