In May 2017, a group of plaintiffs filed a Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit against Boehringer Ingelheim in San Francisco County Superior Court.

The allegations in this lawsuit centered around negligence and the failure of the pharmaceutical company to warn consumers of Pradaxa’s potential side effect of uncontrollable bleeding. All plaintiffs in this case claim that they or a loved one experienced injury at the hands of the anticoagulant medication.

In June 2017, another Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit was filed after the plaintiffs experienced the allegedly wrongful death of a family member taking the drug in November 2012. This family was not included in the $650 million Boehringer Ingelheim settlement of approximately 4,000 bleeding related lawsuits filed against the drugs makers in 2014.

The settlement came just prior to the first Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit going to court, saving the company the lengthy inquiry and embarrassment of a trial. It netted each plaintiff participant an average of $162,000 for their pain and suffering and, in some cases, death of a loved one.

To date, Boehringer Ingelheim, a German drug manufacturer, has not admitted any responsibility or liability. They publicly stand behind their product which purportedly reached $2 million in sales in 2014.

Pradaxa History

Pradaxa, part of a new generation of blood-thinning medications designed to reduce the threat of blood clots, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010.

It, like many that are part of this group, were promoted based on differences between itself and warfarin, a blood-thinning medication that has been in use for decades. Warfarin requires frequent blood monitoring and dietary restrictions. Pradaxa does not require those restrictions–at least according to Boehringer Ingelheim.

Boehringer Ingelheim sold Pradaxa as a more convenient alternative. Plaintiffs say the company failed to adequately warn them of the fact that they had no antidote for the side effect of uncontrollable bleeding which could result from ingesting the drug. With warfarin, bleeding can be brought under control with the administration of a shot of vitamin K.

While receiving over 3,781 adverse event reports on Pradaxa in its first year on the market, the FDA continues to believe the benefits of having the anticoagulant on the market outweigh its risks. With at least 1,000 deaths associated with Pradaxa on record, the federal agency hasn’t changed its position.

Pradaxa Bleeding Lawsuit leads to Fast Track of Praxbind

On Oct. 15, 2015, the FDA fast tracked an antidote to Pradaxa known as Praxbind. It came five years after the approval of the drug itself. It has proved to very effective in bringing bleeding under control within a few hours of administration. Praxbind is like the vitamin K shot to warfarin-caused bleeding. It is the antidote thousands of plaintiffs needed much sooner – five years sooner.

Have you or a loved one been injured by taking Pradaxa prior to the release of Praxbind? You may be able to get the compensation you deserve. Consider a free initial consultation with a product liability lawyers to discuss your case. It is not too late to hold this company responsible for their profit seeking at the expense of others.