Pradaxa (dabigatran) is a blood thinner medication that was released in 2010 and is part of the new generation oral anticoagulants developed as an alternative to warfarin.

Warfarin (Coumadin) is an oral blood thinning medication that was the standard treatment for patients for the last six decades.

However, it requires frequent blood monitoring of medication levels, individual dosing for patients, and it requires that patients follow a special diet while taking the medication.

Pradaxa and its cohorts, Eliquis and Xarelto, were seen as breakthrough drugs because the new blood thinners offered standardized dosing, required less frequent monitoring and did not require patients to restrict their diet in any way.

However, the drug did come with the risk of Pradaxa excessive bleeding side effects that many were not prepared to face.

Pradaxa Excessive Bleeding Side Effects

Excessive bleeding is a known complication with any drug that is used to thin the blood. This is because anticoagulant medications counteract the proteins that help the body clot the blood to stop any bleeding. Without the ability to clot, bleeding can continue indefinitely.

With warfarin, excessive bleeding was also a concern, however there was a reversal agent available to act as an antidote. Emergency room physicians could administer fresh frozen plasma or intravenous vitamin K to allow the body to begin to clot again.

The new blood thinner medications were released onto the market without having a viable antidote available. Many patients and physicians were not aware of this fact, and some patients suffered severe consequences as a result.

With Pradaxa alone, thousands of lawsuits were filed against the manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, alleging the company failed to warn patients and physicians of the severe consequences linked to Pradaxa excessive bleeding.

In 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim agreed to a settlement in the amount of $650 million to resolve claims in the lawsuits that were pending at the time. It did not admit to any of the allegations brought forth, but instead said it agreed to settle to avoid the costs and uncertainty of future litigation.

Many lawsuits have been filed after the 2014 settlement, with similar allegations of Pradaxa excessive bleeding and the company’s failure to warn patients of side effects.

As of last fall, there is an antidote to counteract Pradaxa excessive bleeding. The developers of Pradaxa released Praxbind, a reversal agent to stop Pradaxa excessive bleeding.

The antidote is available in many hospitals throughout the country, but it does not work for patients who are on Eliquis.

It is hoped that many instances of Pradaxa excessive bleeding can be controlled with this new antidote and that less patients and their families will have to suffer from severe side effects of the medication.

Filing a Pradaxa Excessive Bleeding Lawsuit

If you or a loved one experienced Pradaxa excessive bleeding and were not able to be helped with an antidote to stop the bleeding, you may be eligible to take legal action against the manufacturer.

An experienced Pradaxa attorney can review your case at no charge to you and can help you decide if filing a Pradaxa lawsuit is in your best interest.