BayerHealthCare and Johnson & Johnson are facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) consisting of claims alleging serious Xarelto internal bleeding.

One of the most recent Xarelto internal bleeding claims comes from a Massachusetts woman, alleging the pharmaceutical companies failed to warn her and other claimants against potential fatal side effects.

Plaintiff Marjorie R. is alleging Xarelto internal bleeding that reportedly occurred during the course of her prescription. Like numerous other patients, Marjorie had been prescribed Xarelto to treat atrial fibrillation and to prevent potential blood clot attack.

Xarelto and other anticoagulants work by inhibiting the body’s clotting mechanism, which allows for easier circulation. With these benefits in mind, Marjorie says she was prescribed Xarelto on Feb. 3, 2017, but only stayed on the medication until Feb. 9, 2017.

On the last day of her prescription, Marjorie alleges she suffered a gastrointestinal bleeding incident and had to receive emergency treatment for the condition. Marjorie later learned that the anticoagulant’s treatment mechanism could cause potentially fatal Xarelto internal bleeding incidents.

This is because the drug’s treatment mechanism inhibits the body’s the body’s ability to recover from internal bleeding events. Even though Xarelto internal bleeding events could have potentially fatal consequences, plaintiffs claim Bayer HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson allegedly failed to warn the public.

Marjorie states she would not have agreed to take the medication had she been aware of potentially fatal Xarelto internal bleeding problems.

Overview of Xarelto Internal Bleeding Problems

Xarelto was approved by the FDA in 2011 and was released as a joint effort between Bayer HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson. This medication was released just one year after Pradaxa, which was the first drug to be released for anticoagulant treatment since warfarin in the 1950s.

Compared to warfarin, Xarelto and other new generation anticoagulants offered patients a single dose prescription and were advertised to work more efficiently than their predecessor. In comparison, warfarin patients had to undergo frequent dose adjustments while on the medication to prevent serious side effects.

The marketing tactics paid off, with Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare making $582 million in global sales during Xarelto’s first year on the market. However numerous patients reported suffering serious Xarelto internal bleeding events, which could have been potentially fatal if not for emergency medical treatment.

Even though Xarelto and other new generation anticoagulants were more convenient than warfarin, these patients did not have a reliable bleeding antidote in the case of internal bleeding. In contrast, Vitamin K is readily available for warfarin patients in case of internal bleeding.

For years warfarin was the only anticoagulant with an established bleeding antidote, but Boehringer Ingelheim recently developed and had a Pradaxa reversal agent released. However, Xarelto lacked this feature, which put millions of patients at risk.

This Xarelto internal bleeding lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2592, where it will stand alongside other claims alleging similar injuries. By joining an MDL, Marjorie’s claims will be streamlined through the litigation process and will avoid potential problems like conflicting rulings from different judges.

Marjorie is seeking damages from Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare, including multiple counts of negligence and failure to warn.

This Xarelto Internal Bleeding Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-02704-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Louisiana.