Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare are facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL), consisting of claims from patients alleging complications from the Xarelto blood thinner.

One of the most recent additions to the MDL was filed by a woman from California, who alleges she suffered potentially fatal internal bleeding injuries from the Xarelto blood thinner.

Plaintiff Janice D. alleges she was prescribed the Xarelto blood thinner for typical treatment purposes, and did not have any reason to believe she was at risk for serious internal bleeding problems.

Xarelto is one of the most popular anticoagulants in the United States, which is typically prescribed to patients suffering from atrial fibrillation and who are at high risk for stroke.

Xarelto and other blood thinners work by inhibiting the body’s clotting mechanism, which increases the efficiency of blood flow and eliminates the risk of blood clot formation. However, this also inhibits the body’s ability to recover from minor internal bleeding injuries which can become fatal if not promptly treated.

According to the Xarelto lawsuit, Janice also suffered internal bleeding events that required emergency medical care. Janice was prescribed Xarelto blood thinner medication on July 2, 2016 and only stayed on the medication until July 8, 2016.

On the last day of her prescription, she reportedly suffered serious internal bleeding complications and discovered the drug’s potential correlation to such events soon after.

Overview of the Xarelto Blood Thinner

Xarelto was approved by the FDA in 2011, which was one year after Pradaxa was released. Pradaxa was the first new medication to be released for anticoagulant treatment purposes since warfarin in the 1960s, which opened up the possibility for other drug manufacturers to try their hand in the lucrative blood thinner market.

The primary contrast between the new drugs like Xarelto blood thinner medication and warfarin, is that patients can be prescribed the drug in a single dose and do not need to frequently see their physicians for dose adjustments. However, warfarin was the only anticoagulant that had an effective and readily available bleeding antidote for years.

For years, patients prescribed Xarelto blood thinner medication and other new anticoagulants were at risk for potentially fatal internal bleeding injuries. Xarelto blood thinner medication eventually got its own reversal agent in 2018 in the form of Andexxa, which can also be implemented in Eliquis patients.

While this reversal agent is helpful, Xarelto patients were left without a reversal agent for the last seven years. This has caused numerous patients serious injuries and even death which spurred many of the patients to file legal action.

At all times relevant, Janice says she relied on the marketing information provided to her by Johnson & Johnson and Bayer and had no reason to believe she was at risk for potentially fatal Xarelto bleeding complications. Janice states she would not have agreed to take Xarelto blood thinner medication if she had been aware of the risk.

Janice’s Xarelto lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2592, where it will stand alongside other claims alleging similar injuries allegedly caused by Xarelto blood thinner medication.

This Xarelto Blodd Thinner Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-06313-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana.