A Xarelto bleeding lawsuit was filed against drug manufacturers Bayer Healthcare and Janssen Pharmaceuticals alleging they failed to provide adequate warnings about the safety risks associated with the use of the popular blood thinner.

A Georgia resident alleges the companies failed to warn patients and provide information to physicians related to the increased risks of internal bleeding events associated with taking Xarelto.

According to the Xarelto lawsuit, plaintiff Marie B., Bayer and Janssen negligently promoted Xarelto as safe when they allegedly knew the blood thinner could cause life-threatening internal bleeding.

Marie is seeking financial compensation for her Xarelto lawsuit to be included in the multidistrict litigation currently pending in Louisiana federal court.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto is the brand name of the anti-coagulant medication, rivaroxaban.  It is a blood-thinner or oral anti-coagulant that is manufactured by Bayer HealthCare, the pharmaceutical division of Bayer AG, a Germany-based healthcare products manufacturer.

It is marketed in the United States by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, the largest manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and medical products in the world.

Xarelto is used to treat patients who have had blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism to prevent them from reoccurring.

It is also used to reduce the risk of blood clot formation and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation or rapid heartbeat that is not related to a heart valve problem and in patients who have had knee or hip replacement surgery.

Xarelto is a competitor drug of Pradaxa which is manufactured by another German drug maker, Boehringer Ingelheim but Pradaxa works differently than Xarelto.

Xarelto and Pradaxa were meant to replace older anticoagulants such as heparin and warfarin (Coumadin) without requiring laboratory testing of the drug’s clotting ability in a specific patient at a particular dose.

Serious Xarelto Side Effects

Xarelto may also cause more serious side effects, usually related to internal bleeding and the inability to form blood clots at all.  Severe and serious side effects have contributed to the occurrence of death in some patients.

An internal bleed may develop in any part of the body and will continue until the drug is discontinued and cleared from the system.  Unlike other anticoagulant medications such as warfarin, there is no antidote for Xarelto related bleeding.

Bleeding may become a serious or life threatening condition if it occurs close to a major organ like the lungs, kidneys, liver, or brain.  Uncontrolled bleeding will mean that the organ is not receiving adequate blood flow to provide oxygen and nutrients and may cause significant organ damage.

In addition, uncontrolled internal bleeding may cause blood pooling within the abdominal and other areas which can result in additional risks such as pain, organ compression, and infection.

Xarelto Injury Lawsuits

The Xarelto injury lawsuit is seeking compensatory, economic, and punitive damages for the drug companies’ alleged fraudulent and reckless disregard for the safety and welfare of Xarelto users like Marie.

Marie’s individual Xarelto Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-02187-EEF-MBN and the Xarelto MDL is In re: Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 2592 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.