When the FDA approved Elqiuis (apixaban) in 2012, it joined a select group of a new generation of blood-thinners, the first since Coumadin (warfarin) hit the market in the 1950s.

Like its competitors Pradaxa and Xarelto, Eliquis does not require dietary restrictions and regular blood monitoring by doctor, unlike Coumadin according to Eliquis marketing claims. But like Coumadin, the drugs have a risk of internal bleeding in the stomach, under the skin’s surface, and in the brain. The newer blood-thinners also differ from Coumadin in that they lack a bleeding antidote, leading to numerous Eliquis internal bleeding cases.

As a result of the lack of an antidote, thousands of product liability lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of Pradaxa, Xarelto and Eliquis, with patients accusing the drug manufacturers of promoting a dangerous drug and failing to warn users or the medical community that there is no approved antidote to reverse the drugs’ blood thinning effects. Coumadin users are able to reverse a bleeding event with a dose of Vitamin K and plasma to reverse the drug’s anticoagulant effects.

Eliquis and Other New Generation Blood Thinners

Medical professionals prescribe all three of the above named new blood thinners to prevent blood clots in patients suffering from various health conditions, including: atrial fibrillation (arrhythmia of the heart), deep vein thrombosis (blood clots deep within the body), pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs), and stroke.

Pradaxa (dabigatran) received FDA approval in 2010 and is made by Boehringer Ingelheim. Similarly, Xarelto was developed by Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals and was approved by the FDA in 2011, while Eliquis, a Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer product, followed with FDA approval year after.

Eliquis is the newest of the three next-generation anticoagulants. That being said, it is also the drug the medical community knows the least about when it comes to reversing internal bleeding incidences. According to a study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, “To date, there are no human studies of reversal agents in patients who require rapid (Eliquis) reversal,” researchers state.

Other Eliquis Complications

Other health reports claim that popular over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Advil, Aleve, Bufferin, Excedrin, Motrin and Nuprin, as well as painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen, present an additional risk of serious internal bleeding for patients taking blood thinners to prevent clots in their legs or lungs.

People taking any type of NSAID who are also taking an anticoagulant like Eliquis unknowingly double their risk of a major bleed, according to Dr. Bruce Davidson of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Additionally, Dr. Davidson also states that 25 percent of major bleeds happen within eight days of taking an NSAID. “It’s not like you have to be taking them for weeks or months. Some bleeds happen with a single dose,” he states. The bleeding risk may be even greater for people taking blood thinners and NSAIDs who have atrial fibrillation.

As a result of the pain, injuries, and fatalities associated with the use of this blood thinner, many consumers are filing Eliquis lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturers.