A group of plaintiffs is suing Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pfizer Inc. And McKesson Corporation over injuries they link to their use of the companies’ blood thinner drug Eliquis.

The Eliquis group lawsuit states that the named plaintiffs “were caused her to suffer serious and dangerous side effects including bleeding, physical pain and mental anguish, including diminished enjoyment of life.”

Eliquis is a blood thinner medication designed to prevent stroke and systemic embolism in patients. It was developed as an alternative to warfarin, the standard blood thinner of choice for six decades.

The Eliquis group lawsuit explains each plaintiff’s particular situation and how the blood thinner drug allegedly impacted the plaintiff’s life.

Plaintiff John B. filed the lawsuit on behalf of the estate of his deceased mother Estelle. John alleges Eliquis was responsible for her allegedly wrongful death due to rectal and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Plaintiffs Nancy J., Perle A. and Rennie B. all state that, as a result of Eliquis use, they suffered gastrointestinal bleeding and were hospitalized.

Plaintiff Genita C. filed a wrongful death claim on behalf of the estate of her deceased husband Gary C. Genita states that Gary suffered from severe gastrointestinal bleeding requiring hospitalization and subsequently died of the complication.

Plaintiff Lisa D. states that Eliquis caused her to develop excessive vaginal bleeding, which itself led her to be hospitalized on multiple occasions.

Plaintiff John G. says his Eliquis use caused him to develop blood in his stool and urine. He says he also suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding and bleeding that resulted in a stroke, according to the Eliquis group lawsuit.

Plaintiff George J. suffered from excessive nose bleeding requiring hospitalization at least seven times before he had surgery to correct his condition.

Plaintiff Joanne F. brought forth the lawsuit on behalf of the estate of her mother Glendine F. Glendine suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding complications and death, all allegedly brought on by Eliquis use.

Plaintiff Todd G. joined the claim on behalf of the estate of his deceased mother Betty P. Todd alleges Betty’s death was due to acute intracranial hemorrhage brought about by her use of the blood thinning drug.

And finally, plaintiff Ronald W. states he suffered a hematoma as a result of ingesting Eliquis.

Allegations Against the Defendants in the Eliquis Group Lawsuit

The plaintiffs state that the ARISTOTLE clinical study that was undertaken in an effort to earn FDA approval for Eliquis had serious issues that ultimately affected the safety of Eliquis. According to the plaintiffs, “Defendants, as means of cutting costs, chose incompetent and untrustworthy agents in China to conduct the ARISTOTLE study.”

The plaintiffs claim the researchers conducting the study committed fraud by purposefully concealing reports of Eliquis side effects, including a death.

Plaintiffs also claim that researchers failed to perform follow-ups with study subjects, that there were major medication dispensing errors, that poor quality control was rampant, and that falsifying and changing records was evident in the study.

In addition, the plaintiffs say that the drug manufacturers failed to adequately prove the safety of Eliquis, neglected to provide adequate warnings about its safety, and did not alert patients or physicians that there was not an antidote available to reverse the drug’s blood thinning effects in an emergency due to excess bleeding.

Plaintiffs bring nine counts against the manufacturers of Eliquis including negligence, strict products liability for failure to warn and for design and manufacturing defect, breach of express and implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, loss of consortium (spousal companionship) and wrongful death.

The plaintiffs are seeking punitive damages, economic damages for medical expenses, lost earnings and other costs, and compensatory damages related to pain, suffering and emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life and other noneconomic damages.

They also seek attorneys’ fees and costs, interest on all amounts owing, and any additional relief as provided by the court.

The Eliquis Group Lawsuit is Case No. BC 639826 in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.