Although it has been on the market for seven years, new blood thinning drug Pradaxa has been riddled with serious concerns from patients and physicians alike.

Known as one of the new generation oral anticoagulant (NOAC) medications, Pradaxa was designed as an alternative to warfarin, an oral blood thinning medication that was used almost exclusively for the past six decades.

Though warfarin was very efficient at thinning the blood, it came with drawbacks that made its administration more difficult.

Patients needed to be monitored extensively to ensure they were taking the appropriate dose of the drug. Additionally, patients taking warfarin needed to follow a certain diet and avoid foods that could be a problem with the drug, rendering it less effective.

With the new blood thinning drug Pradaxa, these concerns were eliminated. Pradaxa offered a more convenient, standardized dosing that did not require frequent blood monitoring, and no dietary restrictions were associated with its use.

Pradaxa and other new blood thinning drug options in its class, such as Eliquis and Xarelto, were seen as some of the biggest recent advancements in pharmaceuticals.

Pradaxa Uses

Pradaxa is used to thin the blood of patients who are prone to developing blood clots which may lead to serious complications.

The drug has been approved to treat patients with atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm. Patients with atrial fibrillation are prone to developing blood clots because their abnormal functioning, and these can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Pradaxa inhibits these blood clots from forming, thus preventing further complications in patients suffering from atrial fibrillation.

Pradaxa is also used to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Deep vein thrombosis is when a blood clot occurs in the deep veins in the lower body. Some individuals are naturally prone to this condition, while others may develop deep vein thrombosis as a result of a major surgery, such as hip replacement surgery or knee surgery.

Pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot, and often a blood clot caused by deep vein thrombosis, travels to the lungs. It can damage part of the lungs, decrease oxygen levels in the blood, and can damage other organs. Many times, a pulmonary embolism can be fatal.

Major Drawback the New Blood Thinning Drug Pradaxa

The biggest drawback of Pradaxa during its first five years on the market as a new blood thinning drug was the increased risk of internal bleeding associated with its use. Primarily, gastrointestinal bleeding and bleeding in the brain were the most common bleeding injuries.

With warfarin, excessive bleeding was also a concern. However, there was an antidote to reverse the effects of warfarin that allow the body to begin making clots when it needed to. Patients on warfarin who experienced bleeding were given fresh frozen plasma or intravenous vitamin K to stop warfarin’s effects and allow the body to reinstate clotting to stop the bleed.

Pradaxa had no such antidote, and for many patients, this proved to be very dangerous and for some, even fatal. In fact, thousands of lawsuits are currently pending in the courts by plaintiffs and their loved ones who say Pradaxa’s lack of a reversal agent caused irreversible harm.

In late 2015, an antidote to Pradaxa was developed. The new blood thinning drug antidote to Pradaxa is called Praxbind and is available at many hospitals throughout the United States in case a patient on Pradaxa experiences an emergency with excessive bleeding.

If you or a loved one suffered from excessive internal bleeding from use of the new blood thinning drug Pradaxa before its antidote was available, you may be entitled to take legal action against the manufacturer to recover damages for your injuries.