Since its release, the blood thinner drug Xarelto has been connected to several uncontrollable internal bleeding injuries which may have lead to death of many patients.

This has caused victims of Xarelto side effects and their families to file lawsuits against its manufacturer.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto, manufactured and marketed in a joint partnership between Jansen Pharmaceuticals (a Johnson & Johnson company) and Bayer HealthCare AG, is a prescription anticoagulant blood thinner designed to prevent the formation of blood clots.

Approved by the FDA in July 2011 for the prevention of a type of blood clot known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition that commonly occurs after certain types of surgeries), the drug is also now commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with a certain type of heart rhythm disorder, known as A-Fib.

Though the medication was prescribed to people across the country to protect them from life-threatening blood clots, reports indicate the medication may actually put them at risk for serious irreversible bleeding.

Xarelto and Internal Bleeding

Xarelto has been linked to an increased risk for internal bleeding events. Signs and symptoms of Xarelto-induced internal bleeding may vary, depending on the location of the bleeding, but some symptoms of internal bleeding may include:

• unusual bleeding
• discolored urine (blood in the urine)
• red or black-colored stool
• coughing up blood
• vomiting blood that looks like coffee grounds
• frequent nose bleed or gum bleeding
• weakness and swelling in the extremities

The FDA has announced that it is currently in the process of evaluating bleeding events in patients being treated with Xarelto to determine whether the risks outweigh the benefits of the drug.

Other Xarelto Side Effects

In addition to having the potential to cause serious internal bleeding events, the blood thinner medication has been associated with a number of other Xarelto problems including:

• brain hemorrhage
• epidural hematoma
• gastrointestinal bleeding
• pulmonary embolism

Xarelto Lawsuits

In December 2014, the pending federal Xarelto lawsuits were consolidated by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation; many more have since joined the proceeding.

The pretrial phase of the multidistrict litigation proceeding (MDL) is being handled by Judge Eldon E. Fallon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The hundreds of state Xarelto lawsuits are pending in the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania court has designated a Xarelto mass tort track to streamline the cases.

These lawsuits allege that the use of Xarelto can lead to severe and/or fatal bleeding events and that the defendants did not properly warn patients about the lack of an antidote or reversal agent for Xarelto, which could result in uncontrolled internal bleeding. These trials are slated to start in early 2017.

Have you or a loved one suffered from a serious from a serious bleeding related injury after taking Xarelto? Those who have experienced Xarelto problems, and are interested in filing an individual or class action lawsuit, should contact an experienced dangerous drug attorney for a free Xarelto lawsuit consultation.