Blood Thinner Xarelto Linked to Internal Hemorrhaging

By TopClassActions | November 20, 2013

Category: Pharmaceuticals

By John Curran

Xarelto Drug Lawsuit Doctors who are treating patients with atrial fibrillation have been searching for an alternative to the generic blood thinner medication Coumadin, also known as warfarin. But the newest generation blood thinner, Xarelto, carries significant risks including the risk of uncontrollable internal bleeding side effects.

Xarelto is a popular medication, used in a similar fashion to Pradaxa to prevent the development of blood clots due to irregular heart rhythms. While its mechanism of action differs from that of Pradaxa, they both share a problem endemic to this latest generation of blood thinner medications: there is no antidote for a hemorrhaging event. Doctors instead try to remove blood from wherever it pools inside the body and hope for the best regarding alleged Xarelto side effects.

A review of German adverse event data by FiercePharma indicated that there were nearly 1,000 adverse events reported there, with 72 deaths, a steady uptick from all of 2012. While it is unclear what the ratio of German patients suffering from atrial fibrillation to the general public is compared to that in the United States, the U.S. population is nearly four times that of Germany.

There are few studies or data sets from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding events in America, but Xarelto internal bleeding side effects and the lack of an antidote are enough of a concern for drug makers Bayer and Johnson & Johnson to begin looking for a reversal agent. However, the companies are also looking to get the blood thinner approved for new uses even as the FDA rebuffed an attempt to allow its use for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

In addition to these complaints regarding hemorrhaging, some men and women who take the medication have also alleged that the medication can cause problems with blood clotting, which the drug is approved to treat. Specifically, there is some scientific literature that supports an increased possibility of pulmonary embolisms and related concerns in those who take the thinner and receive other medications injected into the spinal column.

Patients who have been prescribed Xarelto and suffered from internal bleeding, hemorrhaging or a similar injury may be able to seek a legal remedy in the form of either a jury award or settlement from Bayer and/or Johnson & Johnson. Get a free case eligibility review to understand what your options are by filling out the submission form at the Xarelto Side Effects (Bleeding, Blood Clots) Class Action Lawsuit Investigation today.