A plaintiff has filed a lawsuit against Janssen pharmaceuticals and parent company Johnson & Johnson alleging a Xarelto caused GI bleed caused her personal injury.

This lawsuit joins the larger Xarelto MDL currently in progress.

Xarelto Caused GI Bleed in Woman

Plaintiff Annette M. began taking Xarelto in March 2014 to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism (blood clots) due to her atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm.

Less than two years later, Annette was admitted to a hospital where she was diagnosed with a Xarelto caused GI bleed.

At the time she was injured, Annette was taking Xarelto as prescribed by her physician.

“As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ conduct, [Annette] suffered and incurred harm including severe pain and suffered personal injuries and incurred damages to include severe pain and suffering, medical expenses and other economic and noneconomic damages,” the Xarelto lawsuit reads.

Xarelto Uses

Xarelto is an anticoagulant medication taken orally to thin the blood of patients who are at risk for developing clots and the resulting complications due to blood clots.

It is used to treat atrial fibrillation, a condition where an abnormal heart rhythm causes blood to pool in the heart, causing an increased risk of blood clots to form there.

It is also used to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) where blood clots found in the large veins of the lower extremities and pulmonary embolisms (PE), the condition where the blood clot travels from the lower body to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal condition.

Xarelto Complications

In the uncontrolled bleeding events, Xarelto caused GI bleed or brain bleed are the most commonly reported, but other bleeding is also reported.

Because the medication works to stop clots, when there is a situation in the body that requires the clotting of blood to stop bleeding, this mechanism no longer works because it is overridden by the medication.

An older drug that was used for 60 years before Xarelto came out, warfarin, also had this complication of use. However, warfarin had an antidote available to reverse the bleeding in response to uncontrolled bleeding events.

Fresh frozen plasma and intravenous vitamin K could reinstate the body’s clotting mechanisms so it could stop its own bleeding. Xarelto has no such antidote.

Allegations Surrounding Xarelto Caused GI Bleed

Annette alleges that the manufacturers were negligent because they knew Xarelto caused GI bleed, brain bleed and other risks, yet neglected to properly warn consumers.

“Defendants knew or should have known that using Xarelto created a high risk of unreasonable, dangerous side effects, including, life-threatening bleeding, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, liver injury, kidney injury, as well as other severe and personal injuries which are permanent and lasting in nature, physical pain and mental anguish, including diminished enjoyment of life, as well as the need for lifelong medical treatment, monitoring and/or medications,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also alleges counts of strict products liability, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment and negligent misrepresentation.

Annette is seeking compensation for her injuries in excess of $75,000 for general damages, medical expenses, refund for the price paid for Xarelto, consequential damages, attorneys’ fees and costs and any other relief deemed proper by the court.

The Xarelto Lawsuit is Case No. and is filed in the Xarelto MDL In Re: Xarelto (rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2592, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.