Pradaxa patients and family members of those who have died after fatal bleeding events are benefitting by reaching out to a Pradaxa attorney.

Pradaxa (dabigatran) was approved by the FDA in 2010 as a blood thinner. Made by pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, Pradaxa was designed to compete with Coumadin (warfarin), a trusted blood thinner for nearly 60 years.

Pradaxa entered the market with a high-dollar advertising campaign that touted the new drug’s capacity to provide patients with “freedom” from blood tests, medication dose adjustments and dietary restrictions, which were depicted as hassles of taking warfarin.

What the Pradaxa marketing neglected to mention was that warfarin’s anti-coagulating properties could be stopped in the event of an accident or surgery. All emergency room doctors are well-versed in administering an IV dose of vitamin K to stop warfarin’s blood-thinning actions, preventing potential bleeding out.

Pradaxa had no similar available antidote until 2015. By then, more than 1,000 deaths had been linked to Pradaxa bleeding episodes.

Benefits of Contacting a Pradaxa Attorney

According to the British Medical Journal’s July 2014 publication, Boehringer Ingelheim allegedly hid knowledge that blood monitoring of Pradaxa levels, just like blood monitoring of warfarin levels, could make Pradaxa a safer anticoagulant.

Several lawsuits allege that monitoring the blood levels of Pradaxa could help ensure the patient has a therapeutic level of the drug circulating at all times.

Some doctors have said the same dose of Pradaxa that prevents blood clots from forming in one patient might cause another patient to experience uncontrollable internal bleeding even though Pradaxa was marketed as a “one dose fits all” medication.

Patients began consulting with a Pradaxa attorney shortly after the drug was released on the market in 2010. A minimum of 260 patients had fatally bled out from Pradaxa by November 2010 and an additional 540 Pradaxa patients died in 2011. Pradaxa allegedly was linked as a factor in the deaths of more than 1,000 patients by February 2014.

Pradaxa attorneys filed nearly 4,000 personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits that became an MDL in 2012. As the evidence mounted, Boehringer Ingelheim settled the 4,000 lawsuits for $650 million in 2014.

If you or a family member experienced a serious bleeding episode any time between May 2014 and October 2015, which would have been the period of time not covered by the $650 million settlement, you could benefit by speaking with a Pradaxa attorney.

Lawsuits allege Boehringer Ingelheim committed willful endangerment because it knew or should have been aware that Pradaxa could cause fatal bleeding, but the company did not warn doctors or consumers until many people had already died.

The company also has been faulted for placing Pradaxa in the marketplace before the antidote Praxbind was approved. Without a safe and effective way to stop Pradaxa’s anticoagulating properties, thousands of patients were exposed to the dangers of unstoppable internal bleeding and other injuries.

An experienced Pradaxa attorney can help sort out the timeline of your case and help obtain compensation for your injuries, medical care, pain and suffering or for the wrongful death of a loved one.