The blood thinner Pradaxa is the target of a mass-claims Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit filed collectively by over 90 named plaintiffs from around the country.

While individual Pradaxa lawsuits continue to be filed, it’s been awhile since Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals has faced such a massive Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit.

Allegations Raised in Pradaxa Bleeding Lawsuit

In this mass-claims Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit, the plaintiffs all similarly allege personal injuries or death of loved one based on the purported use of the FDA-approved prescription medication, Pradaxa, which is indicated to help reduce the risk of stroke in persons with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Some of the specific claims raised in this Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit are that Boehringer Ingelheim failed to warn that Pradaxa use poses an increased risk of inducing life threatening bleeding side effects that are irreversible.

Additionally, the plaintiffs assert that at the time of its release, Pradaxa lacked a reversal agent to counteract internal bleeding events but the drug maker continued to represent to patients and the medical community that Pradaxa was safe and effective.

Along with punitive damages, the plaintiffs are seeking restitution for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and wrongful death.

About Pradaxa

Pradaxa is a blood thinner approved by the FDA in 2010 for patients with irregular heartbeat. When introduced, it was celebrated as the first replacement of the decades-old drug warfarin, the leading stroke-prevention pill — but one that requires weekly exams and calls for dietary restrictions.

Pradaxa, by contrast, required fewer doctor check-ups and did not make patients eat selectively.

Beyond that, warfarin’s side effects include brain hemorrhages and other types of internal bleeding. Pradaxa stepped into the lucrative market as an easier, safer alternative.

The new drug was launched by German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.

Boehringer spent $464 million in 2011 to promote Pradaxa, including direct-to-consumer advertising. During the same period, the company’s sales topped $1 billion.

However, just one year after approving Pradaxa, the FDA received reports of nearly 3,800 adverse effects and 542 deaths associated with the blood thinner. In fact, Pradaxa adverse reports and deaths surpassed all other monitored drugs, prompting the FDA to issue a safety announcement about reports of serious bleeding events in patients taking the drug.

The Downside of Pradaxa: Irreversible Bleeding

Blood thinners like Pradaxa make it more difficult for the blood to clot. This is good for preventing strokes, but can also interfere with the body’s natural response to injuries. If a patient taking blood thinners gets injured, they may bleed uncontrollably.

For a patient taking warfarin, excessive bleeding can be controlled with Vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma. Vitamin K neutralizes the warfarin, and the plasma transfusion restores clotting agents to the patient’s body. The patient can stop bleeding and start to heal.

Pradaxa was released without an antidote and until recently, doctors were powerless to help Pradaxa patients who bled uncontrollably.  On October 15, 2015, an antidote for Pradaxa, a drug called Praxbind, was approved by the FDA.

New Wave of Pradaxa Lawsuits

While more than 4,000 Pradaxa lawsuits were settled in 2014, a new group of patients, ignored by Boeringher Ingelheim’s initial payout of $650 million, have begun to file their own legal claims against the company.

Their accusations are similar to those leveled during the first round of litigation, claiming that the manufacturer’s warnings remain inadequate,

If you or a loved one used Pradaxa and suffered a severe internal bleeding side effects, filing a Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit may help you recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and, in the event of death, funeral expenses.

The Pradaxa Bleeding Lawsuit is Case No. 4:16-cv-00753 in the U.S. District Court for the Easter District of Missouri, Eastern Division.