Pharmaceutical giants Bayer and Johnson & Johnson have recently been hit with a new product liability lawsuit over allegedly severe Xarelto side effects.

Several Xarelto patients filed this motion jointly, claiming that the blood thinner medication had caused them life threatening injuries.

Along with his fellow claimants, California plaintiff Willie F. states that he suffered serious adverse effects from the popular anticoagulant.

Willie was prescribed Xarelto on July 20, 2013, and had used the drug according to the product’s label and the advise of his physician. Despite his diligence, Willie suffered rectum hemorrhaging and acute posthemorrhagic anemia on May 31, 2014. Willie discontinued using the blood thinner medication the same day he suffered these severe Xarelto side effects.

Nowhere on the drug’s label did it warn him against rectum hemorrhaging or anemia, nor did the manufacturing companies notify him or his physician of the risks. Internal bleeding has been an infamous Xarelto side effect since the drug’s release in July 2011.

His Xarelto Lawsuit is part of MDL No. 2592, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana.

Overview of Xarelto Bleeding Complications

Xarelto is a part of a new class of blood thinner medications called New Oral Anticoagulants. These drugs are meant to counteract stroke and embolism. Patients who are suffering from atrial fibrillation or who are at high risk for stroke are often prescribed these drugs, which would ideally prevent them having such attack.

Before Xarelto was released, Pradaxa had been the first new oral anticoagulant to break into the United States blood thinner market since the release of Warfarin. Warfarin’s release was over 60 years ago, so when Pradaxa was released in 2010 it was toted to be more efficient and convenient than Warfarin.

Unfortunately it was not long after Pradaxa’s release that reports of internal bleeding were submitted, which was a concern for Xarelto before it was even released. Xarelto is manufactured jointly between Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and has earned the pharmaceutical companies millions in sales.

Similarly to Pradaxa, Xarelto quickly gained traction over Warfarin for being prescribed in one dose and not requiring frequent blood plasma tests. However Xarelto and the other new anticoagulants lacked a stopping agent for internal bleeding incidents, leading to the numerous safety concerns associated with this drug.

By June 30, 2012, there were 1,080 Xarelto bleeding injury reports submitted to the FDA, which included at least 65 deaths. It is important to note that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson had spent at least $11 million in advertising fees for Xarelto in 2013, focusing on featuring the medication in medical journals.

However, numerous consumers have criticized the drug companies for failing to adequately described Xarelto side effects. Xarelto patients who may have suffered adverse effects may be eligible to file legal action for compensation.