Boehringer Says It’s Facing Thousands of Pradaxa Lawsuits

Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturer of Pradaxa, has several critical concerns right now. Concerns over uncontrolled bleeding and other Pradaxa complications have led to both regulatory scrutiny and numerous lawsuits.

In November 2012, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement indicating it was focusing on the risk of uncontrollable bleeding associated with the drug. The FDA completed an evaluation that indicated the drug was no more dangerous than existing anticoagulants. However, less than a month later, the FDA released a statement saying that the drug should not be used in patients with atrial fibrillation caused by heart valve issues. So while the FDA has made some statements on Pradaxa’s safety, it is continuing to monitor it, and recommends against it in some situations. The FDA continued to add new warnings to Pradaxa through 2013.

>>Pradaxa Side Effects Lead to Lawsuits

In addition to government scrutiny, the manufacturers of Pradaxa have also been named in thousands of lawsuits. Boehringer says that more than 2,000 people in the United States have filed Pradaxa lawsuits alleging the drug caused uncontrollable bleeding.

Pradaxa is a type of drug called an anticoagulant or blood thinner. These drugs weaken the blood’s ability to clot, which can save lives under the right circumstances. However, under the wrong circumstances, these drugs can prevent blood from clotting at all. At this point, patients can potentially bleed to death from very minor injuries, including internal injuries. In older anticoagulants, there are known reversal agents. For example, if a patient on Warfarin suffers from an uncontrolled bleeding event, physicians can administer a high dose of vitamin K, which reverses the drug’s effect. For newer anticoagulants, there is no known reversal agent, leaving drug companies like Boehringer are scrambling to invent antidotes to reverse uncontrolled Pradaxa bleeding incidents.

The Pradaxa MDL is In re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2385, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Help for Pradaxa Bleeding Victims

If you or a loved one were medically diagnosed with internal bleeding problems after using Pradaxa, you may be able to take legal action against the drug’s manufacturer. Filing a Pradaxa lawsuit may help you recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. See if you qualify by filling out the short form at the Pradaxa Lawsuits: Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.