A Pennsylvania man has filed a Xarelto lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging the blood thinning medication caused his gastrointestinal bleeding.

Plaintiff Charles B. claims he began taking Xarelto in November 2014 and stopped taking the medication in December 2014 when he suffered a gastrointestinal bleed that was allegedly the direct result of using Xarelto.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is an oral anticoagulant used to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. It is also used to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

The anticoagulant was introduced into the market in 2011 and was the second drug in the new class of drugs called New Oral Anticoagulants(NOAs).

Xarelto and other drugs in this new class were manufactured as alternatives to warfarin (Coumadin), an oral blood thinner that was used almost exclusively for the last 60 years.

While it was effective and had an established safety record, warfarin did have its drawbacks. Patients on warfarin had to be frequently monitored to make sure the drug was at appropriate levels. Additionally, patients had certain dietary restrictions they were required to follow.

With the new oral anticoagulants like Xarelto, there was no need for frequent monitoring or dietary changes, so this was pleasing to patients and physicians alike.

Xarelto Side Effects

Like any blood thinning medication, Xarelto side effects include an increased risk of internal bleeding.

By the nature of the drug itself, an anticoagulant stops the blood from clotting. This is effective when trying to prevent blood clots for identified health reasons.

However, there are times when blood clotting is essential, and that is to stop bleeding before it gets out of control.

If someone has a nosebleed, for example, the body produces clotting proteins to form clots to stop the bleeding, forming a clot as a natural barrier to curtail it.

However, when these clotting factors are blocked, the body has no way to stop the bleeding on its own, leading to potentially damaging side effects.

For Xarelto and other new generation anticoagulants, internal bleeding in the brain and gastrointestinal bleeding are real causes for concern. Patients who experience bleeding events may suffer serious consequences.

With warfarin, the same risk of internal bleeding was present. However, there was a way to reverse the bleeding and allow the body to begin clotting the blood again as normal. Fresh or frozen plasma and vitamin K were used to stop internal bleeding in patients on warfarin.

With Xarelto, there is no reversal agent or bleeding antidote. Patients can only be stabilized in the hospital as they wait for the medication’s effects to wear off and the body restores the clotting.

For some, the damage done by Xarelto before hospital intervention can be too far gone, and the same can be said even with swift hospital intervention. Patients may experience severe, long-lasting damage from internal bleeding, or the situation may even be fatal for some.

Allegations in the Xarelto Lawsuit

In Charles’ Xarelto lawsuit, he brought forth twelve total counts against Janssen in response to his alleged injury caused by the drug including strict liability, failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and violation of consumer protection laws/consumer fraud laws, among others.

Charles is seeking compensatory damages for pain, suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life and other non-economic damages, an award for economic damages in the form of medical expenses, out of pocket expenses, lost earnings and other economic damages, and punitive damages to deter Janssen’s future conduct.

The plaintiff is also seeking pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs and other relief as deemed appropriate by the court.

The Xarelto Lawsuit is Case No. 2:2015-cv-06392 filed within the larger multidistrict litigation, In re: Xarelto(Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2592 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.