Bayer HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson are facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) consisting of product liability claims alleging bleeding problems from Xarelto. One of the most recent claims was filed by a man from Alabama alleging he experienced serious bleeding problems with Xarelto.

Plaintiff Dylan P. filed this product liability claim alleging bleeding problems with Xarelto, which reportedly occurred soon after he started his prescription.

Xarelto is a new generation anticoagulant and works by inhibiting the body’s ability to clot blood. This prevents the risk of blood clot formation, while improving the efficiency of the circulation system.

Through the companies’ marketing efforts, Xarelto quickly dominated the anticoagulant market and has been prescribed to millions of patients. According to the Xarelto lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare marketed Xarelto to be more efficient and convenient than warfarin.

Xarelto and other anticoagulants are typically prescribed to treat patients suffering from atrial fibrillation, who are at higher risk for stroke. Dylan was reportedly one of these patients who was prescribed Xarelto for typical treatment purposes, and he says that he had no reason to be worried about serious bleeding problems with Xarelto.

According to the Xarelto lawsuit, Dylan was prescribed the anticoagulant in August 2015 and stayed on the medication until July 2016. His prescription abruptly ended due to a serious bleeding incident that reportedly occurred in July 2016 which required emergency medical treatment.

Dylan opted to file legal action against Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare after discovering the companies may have known about the bleeding problems with Xarelto.

Overview of Bleeding Problems with Xarelto

Xarelto was approved by the FDA in 2011, which was one year after Pradaxa was released onto the market. This was significant because Pradaxa was the first medication to be released for anticoagulant purposes since warfarin in the 1960s.

In contrast to warfarin, Xarelto and other new generation anticoagulants could be prescribed in a single dose and did not require frequent doctor visits. However, these newer anticoagulants lacked a reversal agent for years, with Xarelto and Eliquis getting their own bleeding antidote approved in 2018.

When Xarelto and other anticoagulants inhibit the body’s clotting mechanism, it also prevents the body from recovering from internal bleeding incidents. This causes minor internal bleeding scrapes to become potentially fatal incidents, and patients are instructed to seek medical attention if they experience the following symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Blood in stool
• Easily formed bruises
• Paling skin
• Abdominal swelling
• Dizziness

Even though bleeding problems with Xarelto posed potentially fatal risks to patients, Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare allegedly failed to warn the public. Dylan states he would not have agreed to take the anticoagulant if he had known about the risk of potentially fatal Xarelto bleeding incidents.

Dylan’s Xarelto lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2592 where it will stand alongside other claims from other patients alleging they experienced bleeding problems with Xarelto. By joining an MDL, Dylan’s claim will be streamlined through the litigation process and will avoid potential problems like conflicting rulings from different judges.

This Xarelto Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-06379-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana.