Pradaxa Lawsuits Now Targeting Researchers Alongside Manufacturers

In a new twist in the ongoing litigation against the manufacturers of Pradaxa, a research center and a university have been named as codefendants. Specifically, McMasters University and Hamilton Health Science have been named by several Pradaxa lawsuits as codefendants, alongside the drugs’ manufacturers.

Pradaxa is an anticoagulant, or blood thinner. Many serious medical conditions are caused by blood clotting within the body, then blocking the blood supply to various organs. For example, a blood clot in the heart is the cause of many heart attacks, as blood clots in the brain cause strokes. Anticoagulants can reduce the risk of these emergencies in high risk patients. However, anticoagulants can also increase the risk of uncontrolled bleeding since they weaken the body’s ability to form blood clots. This means that minor injuries, including tiny internal injuries, can cause life-threatening bleeding events.

>>Pradaxa Safety Lawsuits

Both the university and the research institute were involved in the development and testing of Pradaxa. The suit alleges that these organizations massaged or even altered data to make it appear that the drug was safer than it is.

An Ontario newspaper, The Spectator, has speculated that due to the similar nature of many Pradaxa lawsuits, others may add the school and the research institute to their lawsuits.

Among the alleged issues with Pradaxa are issues with the drug’s safety are the risk of uncontrollable bleeding and the issue of blood testing. Effects of the previously market-dominating anticoagulant, Warfarin (also known as Coumadin) could be reversed in the event of uncontrolled bleeding. Administering a very high dose of vitamin K effectively “turned off” the drug’s anti-clotting effects, allowing patients with uncontrollable bleeding to form clots. Pradaxa has no known reversal agent, though drug manufacturers are scrambling to find one.

Additionally, Warfarin required regular blood testing to make sure the drug was working properly, and required patients to adopt a strict diet, to avoid getting enough vitamin K in the diet to interfere with the drug. These were used as promotional points for Pradaxa over Warfarin. However, evidence has surfaced that some of the developmental research indicates that Pradaxa users could benefit from regular blood testing, as many users absorb too little or too much of the drug, making it either ineffective or dangerous, respectively.

The Pradaxa multidistrict litigation (MDL) is formally titled In Re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2385, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois.

If you or a loved one took Pradaxa, and went on to suffer from serious health problems, you’ve almost certainly been through a harrowing ordeal. But you need to remember that regardless of the challenges you face, you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain a measure of control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter information about your situation for a free legal review by a trained expert with a background in this type of litigation. From here, you can receive valuable guidance on the best steps to take in your exact situation.