A woman has filed a claim against the manufacturers of Xarelto on behalf of her loved one who allegedly suffered internal bleeding from taking Xarelto and died.

Plaintiff Elizabeth P. filed the Xarelto internal bleeding symptoms lawsuit in Louisiana federal court as part of an increasing multidistrict litigation (MDL) currently progressing against Johnson & Johnson and the company’s subsidiary, Janssen Research and Development LLC.

Elizabeth P. filed the lawsuit on behalf of the late Marcella B., a former resident of Jefferson County, Ky.

According to the Xarelto internal bleeding symptoms lawsuit, Marcella began taking Xarelto on Jan. 13, 2015, up until May. 15, 2015, when she suffered internal bleeding. The lawsuit alleges the internal bleeding was tied to the drug.

The Xarelto internal bleeding symptoms lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including strict liability, manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud.

Xarelto Overview

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a commonly prescribed blood thinner used for the treatment of a type of blood clot called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT, if left untreated, can lead to another type of blood clot in the lungs called a pulmonary embolism (PE). Xarelto is prescribed to reduce the risks of both.

Xarelto can also be prescribed to people with an abnormal heart rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation, to lower their risks of stroke caused by a blood clot.

According to the Mayo Clinic, during atrial fibrillation, the heart’s upper two chambers (the atria) beat out of coordination with the heart’s two lower chambers (the ventricles). The symptoms of someone suffering from atrial fibrillation include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and weakness.

There are a number of adverse effects that may come from taking Xarelto. The lawsuits filed against the manufacturers allege that consumers taking the blood thinner were inadequately warned of the risks with taking the medication.

The lawsuits filed against the manufacturing companies allege that they were negligent in warning consumers of the adverse effects of the drug and the possible risks of injury. Plaintiffs claim the manufacturers failed to adequately warn that Xarelto does not provide a reversal agent for internal bleeding complications that can result.

Since Xarelto was originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Nov. 2012, there have been serious adverse side effects reported in patients who took Xarelto. And, although it may have been marketed and represented as a superior anticoagulant to other previous types of blood thinners, plaintiffs claim it’s more dangerous than they were led to understand.

Unlike some other anticoagulant medications, such as warfarin, patients taking Xarelto cannot stop internal bleeding or hemorrhaging events that may occur. In patients taking warfarin, rather, patients do have a reversal agent: phytonadione, also known as vitamin K.

Some adverse effects patients have complained about when taking Xarelto include stroke, adrenal bleeding, excessive blood loss, epidural hematoma, retinal hemorrhages, intracranial hemorrhages, wound infection and complication, and death.

The Xarelto Internal Bleeding Symptoms Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-12736-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Xarelto MDL is In re: Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2592, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.