Boehringer Ingelheim Begins Testing Pradaxa Bleeding Reversal Agent

Pradaxa has been prescribed to millions of patients in over 70 countries to prevent blood clots. Pradaxa’s creator, Boehringer Ingelheim, recently boasted they had earned over $1 billion from Pradaxa in one year. Despite the success and wide popularity of the drug, thousands have been injured or killed by uncontrollable internal bleeding from taking Pradaxa.

Although all blood thinners have potential for causing internal bleeding, Pradaxa does not currently have any reversal method to stop the internal bleeding process. In fact, most of the time, the bleeding will be uncontrollable unless if intervened by emergency medical attention.

Within six months after the drug’s release, the FDA had received more than 500 reports of Pradaxa internal bleeding injury or death. These injuries included internal bleeding in the brain, intestines and kidneys, and heart attacks. The FDA announced its investigation into Boehringer in December 2011, after receiving reports of 3,781 side effects and 542 deaths among Pradaxa users. This was the most of any medication in 2011.

Boehringer faces liability not only for this safety issue of the drug, but because the company did not warn patients of this information. In fact, the FDA’s study has found that Pradaxa is five times more likely to cause death by internal bleeding than Warfarin.

Pradaxa lawsuits are currently consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois under case number 12-MD-2385. District Court Judge David Herndon is presiding over the cases. The first Pradaxa lawsuit trials are expected to begin in March 2014. These trials are expected to continue through 2015 and beyond, depending on the number of cases in the MDL.

Currently, Herndon told the Madison-St. Clair Record that “steady progress” is being made in the Pradaxa MDL.

“We’re really starting now to get to the meat of the litigation. The pace is picking up more,” Herndon said.

According to the judge, evidence and documents are being consolidated to present during the vital discovery phase of the trial. During the discovery phase, each side must produce records and official documents that pertain to the case. Bloomberg reported that legal experts expect the MDL to grow considerably, and that there may be as many as 4,000 Pradaxa lawsuits to present, including those in the federal courts and also in state courts in California, Illinois, Delaware and Connecticut.

Plaintiffs are joyous for the upcoming trial date, finally having the chance to present their case. Their claims could possibly be resolved faster, and provide much needed financial relief for struggling families with medical debt, lost wages and possible funeral costs.

There has been no release date for Boehringer’s reversal agent, which will be in testing process until further notice.

If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of a Pradaxa internal bleeding injury, you have legal options. Please visit the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a skilled Pradaxa injury lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The Pradaxa attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.