A New Jersey resident recently filed a Xarelto blood thinner lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging that use of the anticoagulant drug led to serious gastrointestinal bleeding.

Plaintiff Sharon M. first began taking Xarelto in November 2013 and stopped taking the drug in April 2014 after experiencing two serious gastrointestinal bleeding events in less than two months.

According to the Xarelto blood thinner lawsuit, Sharon claims that her ingestion of Xarelto caused not only serious gastrointestinal bleeding but also led to physical pain and mental anguish. These Xarelto side effects also necessitated hospitalization and medical treatment, causing Sharon to suffer financially as well.

The blood thinner lawsuit further alleges that Xarelto was not adequately tested by Janssen, but that it sold the anticoagulant without proper testing or warning for the potentially severe side effects.

Sharon claims that had she been properly informed of Xarelto’s potential dangers and side effects, she would not have taken the blood thinner medications and could have avoided serious gastrointestinal bleeding and other side effects altogether.

Xarelto Basics

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a popular anticoagulant medication developed and sold by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

Janssen reports that Xarelto has been prescribed to over seven million people across the world, helping prevent dangerous blood clots. Yet despite Janssen’s claims that Xarelto is capable of preventing dangerous clotting complications, this blood thinner lawsuit — and others like it — allege that the company’s fervent marketing misinformed patients and the medical community.

According to these Xarelto lawsuits, Janssen deliberately underplayed the drug’s safety and efficacy. Rather than being superior to warfarin (an anticoagulant staple drug), Xarelto is allegedly no safer to use, and like warfarin, should require routine blood monitoring.

Xarelto Side Effects

This Xarelto blood thinner lawsuit and others like it allege that recent studies and reports have revealed a link between Xarelto and major bleeding events, such as serious gastrointestinal bleeding.

Xarelto bleeding lawsuits claim that Janssen was not only aware of these studies and the bleeding risks of Xarelto, but it failed to report these major bleeding complications as significant adverse effects and continued to market Xarelto in a manner lawsuits describe as negligent and misleading.

Xarelto Blood Thinner Lawsuits

Janssen is currently facing hundreds of Xarelto blood thinner lawsuits filed for patients who, after taking the anticoagulant, have experienced serious gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhaging, or other adverse bleeding events.

If you or someone you know has experienced Xarelto side effects such as serious gastrointestinal bleeding, you may be able file a Xarelto bleeding lawsuit.

The Xarelto Blood Thinner Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-07120 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.