Lawsuit Says Drug Maker Concealed Deadly Pradaxa Side Effects

Plaintiff Grace Scott alleges in the Pradaxa lawsuit that she suffered internal bleeding caused by Pradaxa, a drug she says “was defectively designed, inadequately tested, dangerous to human health, and lacked proper warnings as to the true danger associated with its use.”

Pradaxa was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2010 for the prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Pradaxa was hailed as the “new generation” of oral blood thinning treatments, which prevent blood clots from forming in the body that can lead to devastating strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Pradaxa is the first new blood thinner introduced to the market in 60 years, since warfarin (Coumadin) was first introduced.

Boehringer has marketed Pradaxa as being superior to warfarin because it has fewer drug interactions and does not require frequent laboratory tests to manage warfarin blood levels. Its ease of use has made Pradaxa a popular choice among prescribing physicians, but as prescriptions for Pradaxa mounted, reports of serious adverse drug events also surged, Scott says in the Pradaxa lawsuit.

Scott joins other Pradaxa lawsuit plaintiffs in alleging that Pradaxa is defective due to its flawed formulation.

“Unlike other traditional blood thinners on the market, Pradaxa has a questionable ‘one size fits all’ dose… its levels in the blood are difficult or impossible to assess, and bleeds cannot be stopped since there is no known reversal antidote for this dangerous drug,” the Pradaxa lawsuit says.

Unlike warfarin bleeds, which can be stopped by administering a dose of vitamin K, Pradaxa bleeds cannot be reversed. Boehringer never warned Pradaxa users or the medical community about the life-threatening, irreversible nature of Pradaxa bleeds, the lawsuit says.

Scott says she continues to suffer permanent injury, pain, loss of normal life, and other non-economic damages as a direct result of Boehringer concealing the true risk of Pradaxa side effects. She is suing Boehringer for strict product liability, negligence and damages related to her losses and injuries.

Her case joins over 1,600 Pradaxa lawsuits pending in multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Illinois federal court. Plaintiffs in the Pradaxa MDL are alleging they suffered personal injuries caused by Pradaxa side effects.

Scott’s Pradaxa injury lawsuit is Grace Scott v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., et al., Case No. 13-cv-51336-DRH-SCW. It was filed on September 24 directly into the Pradaxa MDL, known as In re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2385, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Obtain a Free Pradaxa Lawsuit Review

If you or a loved one suffered a bleeding event while taking Pradaxa, you may be eligible to join the Pradaxa MDL and seek compensation for your injuries. Federal cases are moving forward toward trial, and there’s still time to join. For more information, and to obtain a free legal review of your case, visit the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.