The blood thinner Eliquis has been associated with serious side effects including fatal gastrointestinal bleeding, prompting at least one widow to file a wrongful death Eliquis lawsuit on behalf of her late husband.

According to plaintiff Deborah H.of Virginia, her late husband had been prescribed the blood thinner Eliquis to treat his atrial fibrillation in August 2014.

The Eliquis lawsuit claims that as a result of taking the blood thinner medication, the decedent suffered from major gastrointestinal bleeding, which led to his untimely death.

Deborah further alleges that Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, Inc., the companies responsible for Eliquis, misled the medical community and her husband about the safety and efficacy of the blood thinner Eliquis and actively concealed their knowledge of the defects of the anticoagulant drug.

Eliquis Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Eliquis was approved as an oral blood thinner by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012 and is part of a class of drugs known as Factor Xa Inhibitors. Pradaxa and Xarelto are also part of this group.

These drugs were created to prevent strokes and blood clots in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Warfarin, the previous staple drug for this purpose, has grown less popular as Eliquis and similar drugs have become available.

This may be because, while Warfarin requires that the patient undergo frequent blood tests, Eliquis and other new generation blood thinners do not require such frequent blood testing.

Though the drug’s makers market their product as safe to use, many patients have allegedly reported severe and potentially fatal bleeding side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding.

Additionally, though Warfarin does require blood monitoring, it also comes with an antidote should a serious internal bleeding event occur. There are currently no available measures like the available warfarin antidote to treat Eliquis bleeding side effects.

Therefore, such bleeding complications are reportedly much more dangerous and extreme for Eliquis users.

Eliquis Lawsuits

Because of these severe and potentially life-threatening Eliquis side effects, many patients may choose to file Eliquis lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturers for negligence and failure to adequately warn the public and the medical community of these alleged dangers.

Sadly, some have had to file wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of a patient who died from Eliquis gastrointestinal bleeding or similar causes

Many Eliquis lawsuits claim that plaintiffs were never informed that the drug has serious complications, such as irreversible gastrointestinal bleeding and lacked an antidote.  Had these patients been fully aware of the alleged risks associated with Eliquis, the may have chosen a different treatment option.

While an Eliquis lawsuit cannot reverse damage or bring a loved one back, it may be able to help with financial needs plaintiffs may suffer through medical expenses and lost wages. If you or someone you know has taken the blood thinner Eliquis and has subsequently experienced gastrointestinal bleeding or other complications, you may have cause for filing an Eliquis lawsuit.

The Wrongful Death Eliquis Lawsuit is Case No. 1:15-cv-05808-UA, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.