Eliquis belongs to a new family of blood thinners that do not have a widely-available reversal agent to stop their anticoagulant effects during a bleeding event.

As a result, it is believed that patients may be at risk for irreversible, serious Eliquis side effects.

What is Eliquis?

Eliquis (apixaban) is a blood-thinning drug developed by Bristol-Meyers Squibb and Pfizer. Eliquis is administered to reduce the risk of blood clots for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), as well as people recovering from hip or knee replacement surgeries.

Eliquis and other new generation blood thiners like Pradaxa and Xarelto are seeking to gain a portion of the potential $10 billion market for this new type of pharmaceuticals.

The prevailing treatment for decades has been warfarin (marketed under the name Coumadin). Eliquis doesn’t require the intensive monitoring that warfarin does.

Unlike warfarin, however, which has been generic for years and costs about $200 per year, Eliquis, Xarelto and Pradaxa can cost consumers thousands of dollars per patient in annual costs.

Additionally, there is no commercial reversal agent available, which may lead to more serious and possibly harder to treat serious Eliquis side effects than with warfarin.

Serious Eliquis Side Effects

As with other blood thinners, there are a number of potential side effects while taking Eliquis. The most serious Eliquis side effects are related to an increased risk of potentially fatal internal bleeding.

Warning signs and symptoms of internal bleeding may include:

• discolored urine (blood in the urine)
• red or black-colored stool
• vomiting or coughing up blood
• frequent nose bleeds or gum bleeding
• weakness and swelling in the extremities
• any other unusual bleeding

Since Eliquis thins the blood, it makes bleeding more difficult to stop as well. Other serious Eliquis side effects include:

• Stroke
• Retinal Hemorrhages
• Epidural Hematoma
• Intracranial Hemorrhages
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Hemoglobin Decrease
• Gastrointestinal Hemorrhages
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Adrenal Bleeding
• Death

Eliquis Risks May Outweigh Benefits

Eliquis has been marketed by its drug makers as more effectively reducing stroke risk and causing less major bleeding than warfarin, a drug that’s been prescribed for decades. Unlike warfarin, Eliquis does not require a strict diet or blood monitoring.

But, like other newer anticoagulants on the market, there is no antidote that can counteract Eliquis bleeding complications.

This means people who take Eliquis could be at risk for irreversible bleeding, life-threatening internal bleeding and death. Warfarin, however, can be de-activated with a dose of vitamin K.

Currently, an Eliquis bleeding reversal agent is being sought by drug makers Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb with some favorable data in December of 2014 regarding an Eliquis bleeding reversal agent called andexanet alfa, which reportedly performed well during trial studies.

With that data, the drug makers are seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the Eliquis bleeding reversal agent to be available on the market soon.

Still, if even approved, this Eliquis bleeding reversal agent may have come too late for hundreds of Eliquis patients who were injured or died from serious Eliquis side effects.