A Tennessee resident is the newest plaintiff to join the multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson’s anticoagulant drug, Xarelto.

Plaintiff Barbara M. joins thousands of plaintiffs in the Xarelto multidistrict litigation alleging the new generation blood thinner causes serious internal bleeding injuries.

Because there were so many Xarelto bleeding lawsuits  filed across the country with similar drug injury claims, the cases were consolidated to the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Multidistrict litigation allows cases to be addressed in a more streamlined manner. Less resources are used and less time is needed when fact-gathering and pre-trial hearings all happen at one location with a single judge.

This process also allows for more consistent rulings after the trials have taken place. A similar MDL took place for the drug Pradaxa (a drug similar to Xarelto), and it paid out settlements for over 4000 plaintiffs in the amount of $650 million dollars.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a blood thinning medication known as an anticoagulant. It is one of several newer generation anticoagulant drugs, along with Pradaxa and Eliquis. It is used to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE) and is used to prevent and reduce the risk of stroke from atrial fibrillation.

Before the new generation anticoagulants, warfarin (Coumadin) was the most commonly used blood thinner. However, warfarin required frequent monitoring of its use. With the newer drugs, the monitoring was not needed as often, and it was seen as a more convenient alternative.

Xarelto and Internal Bleeding

With warfarin and other anticoagulant medications, there is a potential increased risk of bleeding complications. Yet, when warfarin is used, there is a bleeding antidote used to reverse life-threatening bleeding.

Fresh frozen plasma and intravenous vitamin K assists in stabilizing the bleeding. With Xarelto, there is no reversal agent, so the bleeding is unable to be stopped safely with an antidote. This has caused many emergency situations for new generation anticoagulant users.

Reports to the FDA of Xarelto bleeding events have increased over the last several years. 1218 reports were filed in 2012, 3600 were filed in 2013 and over 3000 were filed through the reporting period in October of 2014.

Of the new generation anticoagulants, Pradaxa was the first to be FDA approved. After a time, more and more reports of internal bleeding complications and other adverse events were reported, so doctors began to back away from prescribing Pradaxa.

Xarelto soon became the replacement drug prescribed when there were concerns over Pradaxa. With Xarelto’s recent popularity, more of these concerning bleeding reports are surfacing.

Xarelto Lawsuit Information

If you or a loved one have suffered a Xarelto injury from use of the drug, you may be entitled to legal compensation. A confidential consultation with an experienced dangerous drug attorney can help you decide your best course of action.

The Xarelto Bleeding Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-0357, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. The Xarelto MDL is In Re: Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2592, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana.