Bayer HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson is facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) from a number of patients who allegedly suffered uncontrollable internal bleeding incidents.

One of the most recent claims comes from a Massachusetts woman who is filing a wrongful Xarelto death lawsuit on behalf of her loved one.

Plaintiff Kathleen S. is filing this Xarelto death lawsuit on behalf of James S., who had been prescribed the medication to prevent stroke. This is a normal use for the medication. It’s often prescribed for that use to patients who are suffering from atrial fibrillation.

Xarelto and other anticoagulants work by inhibiting the blood’s clotting mechanism, preventing blood clots from forming inside the circulatory system. Xarelto is a part of the new generation anticoagulants, which were approved and marketed as superior alternatives to the original anticoagulant warfarin.

According to the Xarelto death lawsuit, James was prescribed the medication on March 12, 2014 and had only been taking the medication up until April 22, 2014 when he suffered an internal bleeding event. The Xarelto death lawsuit describes the event as a gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia episode that required multiple blood transfusions.

Even though the emergency intervention had worked initially, James ultimately died from his uncontrollable Xarelto bleeding injuries on Jan. 5, 2017.

Overview of Xarelto Bleeding Complications

Xarelto was approved by the FDA in 2011, after Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare had witnessed the success of Pradaxa, another new anticoagulant. Before the release of Pradaxa in 2010, there had not been any medications approved for anticoagulant purposes since the release of warfarin in the 1950s.

Xarelto and other new generation anticoagulants can be prescribed in a single dose. But it lacks a reversal agent that can restore clotting function in the case of internal bleeding. In this way, Xarelto differs from warfarin, which can be reversed by administering vitamin K.

Even though there is no readily available bleeding antidote for Xarelto patients, plaintiffs like Kathleen say the manufacturing companies allegedly failed to disclose this information to the public. Many patients allege the drug companies had omitted this information to protect Xarelto’s market standing and to maintain the drug’s profitability.

Kathleen is filing this Xarelto death lawsuit against the pharmaceutical giants for allegedly failing to warn them against potential internal bleeding incidents. Her Xarelto death lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2592, where it will stand alongside other claims alleging similar injuries.

This Xarelto Death Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-03421-EEF-MBN in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.