A lawsuit has been filed against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG by a group of 10 people whose family members had allegedly died from Xarelto use.

Filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court, the Xarelto lawsuit alleges that family members suffered blood thinner side effects that ultimately caused excessive internal bleeding that turned fatal.

The Xarelto lawsuit states that U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued a warning to the manufacturers informing them that the claims included in their marketing campaign for Xarelto were misleading.

Despite this written communication from the FDA, the plaintiffs allege that the manufacturers continued in their advertisement of Xarelto without making any changes to their public outreach campaign.

Although both Bayer and Janssen were allegedly aware of the potentially dangerous Xarelto side effects, the plaintiffs in the Xarelto lawsuit allege that the manufacturers continued to market the drug as safe and effective in the treatment of atrial fibrillation and for those who have undergone hip and knee replacement surgeries.

Xarelto is used to prevent blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation, a condition where an abnormal heart rhythm improperly pumps blood. Patients with atrial fibrillation are more likely to have blood clots, which can be deadly.

In major surgeries such as hip and knee replacement surgeries, blood thinners are used proactively to avoid any potential blood clots related to surgery.

The plaintiffs in the Xarelto lawsuit also claim that the manufacturers used celebrity spokespersons to falsely promote Xarelto and neglected to adequately warn the public of the potentially dangerous blood thinner side effects.

The families in the lawsuit allege nine counts against Janssen and Bayer including wrongful death and fraud. The families are seeking compensatory damages in the amount of $50,000 per each deceased family member.

This Xarelto lawsuit is one of many currently pending in the state and federal courts. Due to the large number of Xarelto lawsuits, more than 2,800 have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation in federal court in Louisiana.

An additional 550 cases were grouped in a mass tort program in Pennsylvania.

Xarelto Side Effects

Xarelto (dabigatran) is a member of the newer class of drugs referred to as New Oral Anticoagulants and was released in 2011.

When Xarelto and other new drugs in this class were introduced, they were seen as a positive alternative to the staple anticoagulant, warfarin (Coumadin) that was used for six decades prior.

Xarelto and other new blood thinner medication did not require frequent monitoring nor did it require patients to adopt a specific diet while taking the medication, in contrast to warfarin.

However, like all anticoagulants, Xarelto carried blood thinner side effects surrounding the risk of excess bleeding. Since all anticoagulant drugs are designed to prevent clotting in the body, the result is a risk of increased bleeding.

For patients who were on warfarin, if there was a bleeding emergency, an antidote could be administered to quickly reverse the anticoagulant mechanism of the medication and restore the body’s natural clotting properties.

Fresh frozen plasma and intravenous vitamin K serve as a reversal agent for warfarin.

Xarelto, however, lacks any type of reversal agent or antidote to counteract excessive bleeding. At best, patients may be hospitalized in order to stabilize them as the body processes the remaining Xarelto out of the patient’s system.

Unfortunately, as was the case for the families in this Xarelto lawsuit, the excess bleeding can be fatal.

Patients and families who have suffered from excessive bleeding Xarelto side effects ranging from permanent organ damage to death have filed a Xarelto lawsuit to hold the manufacturers accountable for producing what they believe is a dangerous drug.

If you or a loved one suffered from severe Xarelto side effects, a lawyer can review your case at no charge and help you decide if filing a Xarelto lawsuit is right for you.