Three plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit in California federal court alleging that the popular blood thinner Eliquis caused gastrointestinal bleeding that led to severe personal injury.

Plaintiffs Gail S., Omar H. and Barry M. filed their lawsuit against named Defendants McKesson Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, Inc. following severe injuries related to their ingestion of Eliquis.

According to the lawsuit, the Defendants “negligently and fraudulently represented to the medical and healthcare community, including Plaintiffs’ prescribing doctors, the [FDA], to Plaintiffs and the public in general, that Eliquis had been tested and was found to be safe and effective for its indicated uses.”

The lawsuit goes on to say that the makers of Eliquis conceal their knowledge about the medication’s defects from the FDA, plaintiffs, the public in general and the medical community.

It says that the representations made by the Defendants were intended to defraud and deceive the aforementioned parties “and were made with the intent of inducing the public in general, and the medical community in particular, to recommend, dispense and purchase Eliquis, all of which in convinced a callous, reckless, willful, depraved indifference to health, safety and welfare of the Plaintiffs herein.”

According to the lawsuit, Eliquis caused gastrointestinal bleeding in Gail in January 2016, just one month after she began taking the medication. As a result of her gastrointestinal bleeding ulcer, she had to be hospitalized and underwent surgery for her condition.

Omar stated that Eliquis caused gastrointestinal bleeding for him in December 2014, approximately five months after beginning treatment with the medication. He indicated that he was hospitalized as a result.

Barry claims that in November 2014, one month after starting treatment with Eliquis, he underwent an ablation surgery. During the surgery, he suffered excessive bleeding, and the surgery was deemed unsuccessful.

“As a direct and proximate result of the Defendants’ conduct, Plaintiffs have suffered and incurred damages, including medical expenses, physical pain and mental anguish, diminished enjoyment of life, loss of life, and loss of earnings, among other damages,” the lawsuit states.

Allegations That Eliquis Caused Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Eliquis is an anticoagulant medication that is used to treat patients with atrial fibrillation, and it is also used to treat and prevent pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis and related conditions that may occur as a result, such as heart attack and stroke.

Eliquis is one of several new anticoagulant medications that has recently been released onto the market as an alternative to warfarin, the standard anticoagulant medication used for the past six decades.

The lawsuit alleges that Eliquis caused gastrointestinal bleeding due to its defective design. Specifically, the lawsuit states that the results of safety studies were not fully and accurately disclosed to patients and physicians.

Additionally, the plaintiffs claim that the makers of Eliquis failed to advise physicians, patients and the medical community that there is no reversal agent available to reduce the anticoagulant effects of the drug, therefore increasing the risk that patients would suffer from severe gastrointestinal bleeding events.

Warfarin, Eliquis’ older counterpart, can have its anticoagulant effects reversed by the administration of fresh frozen plasma or intravenous vitamin K to restore the body’s natural clotting mechanisms.

Eliquis does not have a reversal agent, and this has posed serious risks to patients who have suffered severe gastrointestinal bleeding as well as brain bleeding while using the medication.

The complaint alleging Eliquis caused gastrointestinal bleeding raises claims of negligence, strict products liability for failure to warn as well as design and manufacturing defect, breaches of express and implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment and misrepresentation. The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial.

The Eliquis Gastrointestinal Bleeding Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-cv-06769, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.