New Lawsuits Filed Over Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Side Effects
By John Curran
There have been two significant developments in the Pradaxa lawsuit multi-district legislation (MDL) concerning the blood thinner, which caused more than 500 deaths last year. Not only have the number of claims involving Pradaxa side effects skyrocketed to nearly 80 Pradaxa lawsuits in U.S. federal court, but also new records could affect the status of the Pradaxa lawsuit MDL.
Pradaxa is a blood thinner that some physicians may not have warned (or even been aware) can increase the risk for internal bleeding. However, the FDA released a warning that Pradaxa side effects were worse than average. Former patients taking Pradaxa noted in Pradaxa lawsuits that they suffered from severe internal bleeding, including bleeding ulcers and Pradaxa hemorrhaging. In spite of that, usage remains high throughout the world, and Pradaxa continues to be sold in the United States.
Not only is Pradaxa still being sold, but manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim is continuing to heavily promote the product in spite of mounting Pradaxa lawsuits. In fact, according to a new Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit filed by a Pradaxa lawyer in the Arkansas federal district court, the company has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to promote the product. That includes more than $60 million before the product even launched. One of the issues raised by Pradaxa attorneys is that it wasn’t illegal at the time for pharmaceutical companies to pay for conferences, dinners and other events to promote a drug such as Pradaxa.
For that alone, Boehringer Ingelheim paid more than $450 million over the course of a year. Total costs alleged in Pradaxa lawsuits for a single year were more than $500 million. There have been new limitations on the ability of pharmaceutical companies to promote their products on expensive junkets by plying doctors with extravagant gifts like sports events tickets or golf outings. So while a Pradaxa attorney cannot argue that the process was illegal, they can argue that the company refused to adjust its marketing efforts as FDA warnings and Pradaxa side effects reports mounted.
One of the more stunning developments revealed in Pradaxa bleeding lawsuits is that many people forget how the medication was initially marketed. Pradaxa was compared to Warfarin (Coumadin), which was another highly effective blood-thinning drug already on the market. Unfortunately, Warfarin requires regular monitoring of blood serum levels and, as with Pradaxa side effects, high levels lead to potentially deadly consequences. Other Warfarin problems include skin necrosis and gangrene when Warfarin interacted with certain nutrients. None of the Pradaxa commercials included those potential side effects. Pradaxa ads also didn’t warn the public about the most serious side effect of Pradaxa: the risk for uncontrollable internal bleeding. Unlike Warfarin bleeding, which can be reversed by administering Vitamin K, Pradaxa bleeding has no antidote. As a result, thousands of unsuspecting patients suffered severe Pradaxa internal bleeding and hundreds died from their Pradaxa bleeding injuries. Plaintiffs in Pradaxa bleeding lawsuits accuse Boehringer of failing to warn the medical community and patients about the risk of uncontrollable Pradaxa bleeding, or that there is no cure for it once it occurs.
If Pradaxa side effects have led to serious medical conditions for you or a loved one, a qualified Pradaxa attorney may be able to add your case to those already in process in the Pradaxa lawsuit MDL. Contact a Pradaxa lawyer today to learn about the legal consequences for your health and the possibility of money that you can receive to offset medical bills and other costs. It’s as easy as going to the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Law Suit Investigation to get a free consultation. Your claims will be reviewed by a skilled Pradaxa injury attorney who can advise you if a Pradaxa injury lawsuit or Pradaxa class action lawsuit is a viable course of action for you and your family.
Updated September 4th, 2012
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