A West Virginia jury has recently approved a Pradaxa jury award of $1.25 million to the family of a woman who allegedly died from uncontrollable internal bleeding incidents caused by the anticoagulant.

The Pradaxa jury award against Boehringer Ingelheim is the first time a jury has sided with a plaintiff alleging serious injuries from adverse drug reactions, according to Law360.

The Pradaxa jury award consists of $1 million in punitive damages, along with $250,000 for fraud. Boehringer allegedly committed fraud by not properly disclosing vital drug safety information, including the fact that Pradaxa did not have an approved bleeding antidote at the time.

This misinformation allegedly contributed to the woman’s death, prompting legal action.

The Pradaxa wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of Betty K., who was allegedly prescribed Pradaxa for typical treatment purposes. The claim was filed by Betty’s children, Claude K. and Claudia S. who claim that at no point in time did Boehringer disclose the risk of uncontrollable bleeding to their mother or her physician.

According to the Pradaxa wrongful death claim, Betty was prescribed Pradaxa in October 2011 to treat her nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and experienced uncontrollable internal bleeding soon after.

Overview of Pradaxa Bleeding Complications

Pradaxa is a new generation anticoagulant that works by inhibiting the body’s clotting mechanism and increases the efficiency of blood flow. While this prevents the formation of blood clots, it also reportedly inhibits the body from being able to recover from minor internal bleeding injuries, which can quickly turn fatal.

Even though Pradaxa internal bleeding injuries can be potentially fatal, there was no reversal agent available until 2015. It is important to note that Pradaxa was the first medication to be approved for anticoagulant treatment purposes since warfarin’s approval in the 1960s, and had paved the way for other new anticoagulants Xarelto and Eliquis.

The main difference between new generation anticoagulants and warfarin is the former’s convenient single dose prescription feature, making it very popular with patients. However, it was not long after Pradaxa’s release that patients and the medical community discovered the uncontrollable bleeding issue.

The claim further states that Betty had to be hospitalized for 20 days, but she ultimately died from her injuries on Sept. 2, 2013. Claude and Claudia not only allege that Boehringer did not disclose potentially fatal Pradaxa bleeding injuries but deliberately hid the fact that the injury reports indicated Pradaxa caused patients to be at an increased risk irreversible bleeding events.

The Pradaxa jury award was issued based on findings that Betty’s injuries were caused by the anticoagulant, but the jury did not find the drug to be the cause of death. Boehringer Ingelheim stated that it is committed to patient safety, and was “disappointed” with the jury’s decision, according to Law360.

The Pradaxa jury award follows a recent string of bellwether victories for Boehringer Ingelheim. Patients who suffered Pradaxa bleeding injuries may be able to file legal action against Boehringer for negligence and failure to warn.

This Pradaxa Lawsuit is Case No. 3:15-cv-06424 in In Re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.