Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare are facing a new product liability claim from a North Dakota woman, alleging Xarelto wrongful death. The woman is filing this Xarelto wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her deceased mother who allegedly died of Xarelto bleeding complications.

Plaintiff Sylvia S. is filing on behalf of the late Lois. E., who was prescribed Xarelto to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism with her atrial fibrillation. Lois began using Xarelto on Jan. 6, 2016, after discussing different anticoagulant options with her physician.

However, the prescription only lasted until April 2016, when the alleged Xarelto wrongful death occurred. According to the Xarelto wrongful death lawsuit, Lois suffered gastrointestinal bleeding on April 27, 2016, and ultimately died from internal bleeding complications just two days later.

Sylvia now alleges the companies knew or should have known about potentially fatal Xarelto internal bleeding. Sylvia is filing her Xarelto wrongful death lawsuit in multidistrict litigation (MDL) No. 2592, where it will stand alongside other Xarelto claims.

Overview of Xarelto Bleeding Complications

Xarelto was approved by the FDA in 2011, which was just a year after the release of Pradaxa, another anticoagulant. After Boehringer Ingelheim had successfully released Pradaxa in the United States, other pharmaceutical companies tried to break into the exclusive anticoagulant market.

Before Pradaxa’s 2010 release, there had not been an anticoagulant released onto the market since the release of warfarin. Released as joint effort between Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare, Xarelto reached blockbuster status soon after entering the market.

However, patients soon started complaining of uncontrollable Xarelto bleeding incidents, some of which resulted in death. Xarelto and other anticoagulants work by inhibiting the body’s clotting mechanism, preventing dangerous blood clots from forming.

However, this effect also prevents the body from recovering from internal bleeding incidents. The result has been a massive litigation movement Bayer and Johnson & Johnson are currently facing.

Similar to Sylvia’s Xarelto wrongful death lawsuit, many claim that the companies knew the risks of uncontrollable internal bleeding but did not disclose the risk to customers.

At this point in time, Xareto does not have an available antidote that can help slow internal bleeding. Sylvia is filing this Xarelto wrongful death lawsuit claiming her mother’s death could have been avoided and that the medication directly contributed to her passing.

Sylvia is seeking damages for negligence and failure to warn, along with any other applicable damages.

This Xarelto Wrongful Death Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-04054-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.