Xarelto, a popular anticoagulant, has been the focus of numerous Xarelto lawsuits in recent years because of an increased risk of internal bleeding. This has caused the number of Xarelto lawsuits to soar.

Xarelto, also known as rivaroxaban, is manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutical and co-marketed by Bayer and Johnson & Johnson.

It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States in 2011 and received widespread acclaim because of its ability to work without the dietary restrictions common with other blood thinners.

However, Xarelto also has allegedly carried with it some serious Xarelto side effects. Uncontrollable internal bleeding, particularly in the stomach and eyes, has been reported as a side effect of Xarelto use.

This internal bleeding increases in patients over 60 years of age and can cause death.

Xarelto Lawsuits

Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer have recently become the defendants in two Xarelto multidistrict litigations (MDL) underway filed in federal courts in Pennsylvania and Louisiana.

An MDL is created if there are several lawsuits filed about similar side effects over the same product. While it is similar to a class action lawsuit, the lawsuits are kept separate because the injuries can vary widely. MDL’s are typically used for drug related lawsuits because of this.

Plaintiffs claim that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson failed to warn consumers of the Xarelto side effects risks associated with the drug.

The FDA required “black box” warnings for Xarelto, but consumers complain that the warnings were not made evident as Xarelto was being advertised on television and other media as a blood thinner. A black box warning is given for severe or life-threatening adverse side effects.

The plaintiffs say that this constitutes concealment of critical information. They allege that not knowing the risks put both doctors and patients at a disadvantage for proper decision making regarding the drug.

Between the two Xarelto mass torts, there are around 3,350 plaintiffs. The Xarelto lawsuits included in these MDLs cite serious Xarelto side effects of internal bleeding, including death, and claim “willful decision” on the part of the defendants to conceal vital information from consumers in order to increase profits.

The plaintiffs claim that because celebrity spokespersons were used and only the positive effects of Xarelto were cited, the true nature of Xarelto side effects were not communicated.

In both Pennsylvania and Louisiana, bellwether trials are scheduled and will begin in early 2017. More plaintiffs are expected to join the Xarelto lawsuits as news of the class action lawsuits is made available to the public.