Plaintiff Kenneth W. has filed a lawsuit against Janssen Research & Development LLC and Johnson & Johnson Company, the manufacturers of Xarelto, alleging he suffered gastrointestinal bleeding due to the anticoagulant medication.

According to the Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit, Kenneth had begun taking Xarelto in September 2013. He suffered an episode of gastrointestinal bleeding in November 2015.

Kenneth’s claim is filed as part of a large multidistrict litigation, or MDL, centered on allegations that Xarelto anticoagulant medication causes patients to suffer from serious internal bleeding injuries.

Xarelto Gastrointestinal Bleed Side Effects

Patients taking Xarelto have complained of gastrointestinal bleeding and other dangerous Xarelto side effects. Some of these other side effects may include uncontrollable internal bleeding, hemorrhaging, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or ischemic stroke.

Like Kenneth, several victims of Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed side effects have filed lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturers.

Overview of Xarelto Anticoagulent Medication

Xarelto, also known as rivaroxaban, is a newer anticoagulant medication that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011.

It was approved by the federal agency to help curtail and prevent the formation of blood clots in patients after undergoing surgery.

It was and is being advertised as an anticoagulant that helps lower the risk of formation of blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm. Xarelto is prescribed to lower a patients’ risks of developing stroke, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism.

Deep vein thrombosis is the occurrence or formation of a blood clot in the body’s deep veins, which may occur in the body’s legs or lower extremities. In addition, Xarelto, prevents the occurrence of a pulmonary embolism, the event in which a blood clot forms and blocks one or more arteries in the lungs.

Despite these claims being made by the manufacturers, plaintiffs allege Xarelto causes serious adverse effects and complications, particularly in older patients and those who have undergone a knee or hip replacement surgery.

Patients and victims of Xarelto side effects who have filed these lawsuits have even alleged the anticoagulant caused ischemic stroke, when a blood vessel is obstructed and cannot supply blood to the brain.

Hundreds of adverse event reports have been filed with the FDA pertaining to Xarelto adverse side effects and complications.

FDA Reporting on Xarelto Side Effects

According to the FDA, there were 1,734 adverse event reports filed with the FDA in 2012 regarding adverse events associated with the anticoagulants Xarelto, Pradaxa and Coumadin. Of these adverse event reports, 233 were of patient deaths. The adverse event reports including reports on uncontrollable internal bleeding in patients, and patients hemorrhaging. Additionally, in the first quarter of 2012, 121 of the adverse event reports were of Xarelto internal bleeding cases.

The Xarelto Gastrointestinal Bleed Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-10113-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. It’s part of the Xarelto Multidistrict Litigation, MDL No. 2592, also  in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.