The effectiveness of the new generation blood thinner Xarelto has been called into question for many users who have suffered from an ischemic stroke after taking the medication.

Xarelto side effects have recently been linked to a number of severe, potentially life-threatening events in its short time on the market with reports suggesting that Xarelto may increase the risk of ischemic stroke – one of the complications the drug is supposed to prevent – in certain patients.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a prescription medicine that acts as an anticoagulant (blood thinner) to prevent the formation of blood clots.

Xarelto was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011, and is currently being prescribed as an ischemic stroke treatment for people with atrial fibrillation, to treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and prevent deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery.

Xarelto is the only new anticoagulant recommended by the manufacturer for once-per-day dosing in the clinical setting of non-valvular atrial fibrillation. All other comparable anticoagulants are dosed on a twice-per-day basis. As a result, it has rapidly become a blockbuster drug, with more than $1.3 billion in U.S. sales in 2013.

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is manufactured and marketed in a partnership between Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary) and Bayer HealthCare.

Xarelto & Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic strokes are caused by an interruption of the blood supply to the brain, usually caused by thrombosis or embolism. About 87% of strokes are ischemic. New concerns have arisen, however, that Xarelto may also be a contributing factor.

At least one lawsuit alleges that Xarelto’s recommended dosage doesn’t work for as long as is represented by the manufacturers. It is believed to be the first in the nation to allege that Xarelto does not prevent, and in some cases may actually contribute to, ischemic strokes in patients suffering from atrial fibrillation.

One Xarelto Ischemic Stroke lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Florida man who suffered an ischemic stroke while taking the anticoagulant. As a matter of fact, this is the very first lawsuit to make allegations that the drug is absolutely ineffective and useless as an ischemic stroke treatment and that the drug may actually be the cause of it, especially in patients who have been found out to have atrial fibrillation.

Additionally, a case study published in the October 2014 issue of the Journal of Pharmacology and Therapeutics documents the account of an 88-year-old woman who suffered an acute ischemic stroke while taking Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to prevent stroke associated with her atrial fibrillation.

After several days of ischemic stroke treatment using Xarelto, the patient was admitted back to the hospital and her doctors discontinued the drug since it failed to prevent her ischemic stroke.

Xarelto Lawsuits

The FDA reports that more than 1,800 adverse events have been linked to the blood thinner. The most common Xarelto side effects reported were pulmonary embolism (386 reports), deep vein thrombosis (279 reports), serious gastrointestinal bleeding (107 reports) and hemorrhage (107 reports). Hospitalization was reported in 891 of these events, and 183 of the patients lost their lives.

If you or a loved one has experienced serious Xarelto side effects, such as internal bleeding or stroke, it is critical to understand your legal rights in order to recover for any damages suffered.

An experienced Xarelto attorney can carefully evaluate the facts of your particular situation and effectively pursue appropriate legal action to fully compensate you for your losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, therapy costs, emotional distress, and wrongful death.