Pharmaceutical giants Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Pfizer Inc. are asking that dozens of the Eliquis lawsuits filed against them be centralized into a multidistrict litigation in the Southern District of New York.

The companies claim that consolidation of these Eliquis lawsuits would help improve the efficiency of the litigation process as well as prevent duplicative or conflicting discovery.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) was told that most of the 34 pending Eliquis lawsuits support the MDL consolidation asked for by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer. Only two of the plaintiffs do not yet support consolidation. Given the wide acceptance of consolidation, the JPML has begun determining where the Eliquis lawsuits should be consolidated.

Sixteen Eliquis lawsuits are pending in New York, four in the Eastern District of Louisiana, three in the Eastern District of Kentucky, and others from Illinois to Hawaii, Texas, and California. The majority of these Eliquis lawsuits are pending in New York, but the Eastern District of Louisiana has the next highest number. The plaintiffs’ counsel argued that these Louisiana judges have ruled on similar cases before, and therefore have experience with these kinds of matters.

Hundreds of further Eliquis lawsuits are expected to be filed in these districts.

What is Eliquis?

Eliquis (also known by its generic name, apixaban) is one of the most popular blood thinner medications available on the market today. While most Eliquis side effects, like any other medication, are mild and will go away on their own without need of further treatment, some Eliquis side effects include major bleeding problems that, in some instances, can become fatal.

While any blood thinner drug, including warfarin, comes with bleeding side effects, most of these drugs come with a reversal agent to negate dangerous side effects. However, Eliquis does not have such an antidote to counteract its blood thinning effects. This means that patients suffering from serious Eliquis bleeding problems may be in significant danger.

Eliquis Lawsuits

According to these Eliquis lawsuits, plaintiffs have suffered extreme and even life-threatening side effects after taking Eliquis, including uncontrollable bleeding. This bleeding is most often in the brain or gastrointestinal tract, but has been reported as vaginal, lung, and heart bleeds as well, according to case documents.

The Eliquis lawsuits allege that its drug makers, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, Inc., failed to adequately warn consumers and the medical community about their drug’s risk. Instead, the companies actively marketed Eliquis as “something better than warfarin,” despite knowledge that it lacked a reversal agent meant to negate dangerous side effects.

The Eliquis lawsuits are filed on multiple counts, including product liability, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, breach of warranty, and others.

Though filing an Eliquis lawsuit cannot undo the damage of an Eliquis intracranial hemorrhage or other serious side effects, or bring a loved one back to life, it may be able to help compensate for financial expenses incurred by medical bills or lost wages. Hiring an Eliquis injury lawyer can only help in these efforts.

If you or someone you know has taken Eliquis or a similar medication and has since suffered from major Eliquis dangerous side effects, you may be able to hire an Eliquis injury lawyer and pursue litigation against Bristol-Myers Squibb.