For those who have taken and been injured by the popular anticoagulant drug, Eliquis, an Eliquis injury attorney may be able to help.

Eliquis, generically known as apixaban, is a relatively new drug and was only recently introduced in 2012 by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer.

It is primarily used to prevent stroke for those who have experienced atrial fibrillation and to stop blood clots in those who have had lower extremity surgery such as hip or knee replacement.

It joins Pradaxa and Xarelto in a group of new generation anticoagulants which were developed to compete with warfarin (Coumadin).

An Eliquis injury attorney can tell you that this has been a controversial class of drugs, because up until recently, there has been no antidote for excessive and uncontrollable bleeding for any of the newer oral anticoagulant drugs.

Pradaxa has Praxbind, a newly approved antidote, but the antidote for Eliquis, AndexXa, is currently under review and has not been approved for the market yet.

Portola Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer behind AndexXa, released an interim data report of their ongoing trials. They found that AndexXa caused an 89 percent reduction of the blood thinning effects of Xarelto and a 93 percent decrease of the effects of Eliquis.

Nearly 80 percent of patients experienced a significant stop in internal bleeding within 12 hours of administration of AndexXa.

However, this antidote may not come soon enough. These blood thinning drugs have been aggressively marketed as superior to warfarin because they do not require blood monitoring or strict diets. But there have been so many adverse events reported to the FDA that many wonder if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Anticoagulants, because of the nature of what they do, can also cause uncontrollable internal bleeding and hemorrhage. This can lead to hospitalization and in some cases, death.

Because there has been a lack of bleeding antidote, there have been thousands of product liability lawsuits against the manufacturers of these three drugs.

Plaintiffs in Eliquis lawsuits allege that Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb sold a dangerous drug and failed to warn patients and doctors that a reversal agent does not exist.

Eliquis Lawsuits

Many who retain an Eliquis injury attorney also allege that the manufacturers of Eliquis failed to disclose the flaws in the Eliquis clinical trials. The Food and Drug Administration later revealed these flaws.

Critics claim that those who conducted the trial were responsible for instances of failure to report trial results, including side effects and the death of one trial subject.

Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb have continued to sell and promote their drug even though, critics claim, they knew of the life-threatening risks.

Contacting an Eliquis Injury Attorney

If you or someone you love has been experienced uncontrollable bleeding as a result of Eliquis, you may be entitled to legal compensation. Contact an Eliquis injury attorney today to discuss your options.