Pradaxa Lawsuits & Bleeding Reports Continue to Rise
By Amanda Antell
The popular blood-thinning drug Pradaxa is now available to millions of patients with atrial fibrillation in over 70 countries worldwide. Boehringer Ingelheim, Pradaxa’s manufacturer, recently boasted that Pradaxa alone earned them $1 billion in one year. The drug has also racked up hundreds of reports of death from internal bleeding and over a thousand reports of severe bleeding side effects. Subsequently, hundreds of Pradaxa injury lawsuits have been filed.
Pradaxa is an anticoagulant drug designed to thin the patient’s blood to prevent blood clotting and stroke. The people who are prescribed Pradaxa suffer from elevated stoke risk, general blood clotting, and a heart rhythm abnormality called non-valvular atrial fibrillation. During Pradaxa’s first full year on the U.S. market in 2010, sales exceeded $10 billion.
Encouraged by its success, Boehringer sprung an aggressive $500 million advertising campaign geared toward the general public, instead of medical professionals. This led to many new prescribers, but also led to many new problems as well. Within the first six months of its release, the FDA had received more than 500 reports of internal bleeding injury or death among patients. The reported internal bleeding areas included the brain, intestines, kidneys, and heart.
In December 2011, the FDA announced they would be conducting a formal investigation into the safety of Pradaxa. The FDA decided to proceed with this investigation after receiving 3,781 Pradaxa side effect reports, and 542 deaths among users. This was the most damage and casualty of any medication in 2011. A study conducted the University of Pécs in Hungary in 2012 concluded that patients taking Pradaxa, were three times as likely to suffer from internal bleeding.
Despite all the deaths and injuries reported, the FDA approved Pradaxa’s warning label, with it listing the most common signs or symptoms of potential internal bleeding or hemorrhaging. The warning signs associated with Pradaxa internal bleeding are:
- External bleeding (through mouth, eyes, or nose)
- Unexplainable Bruising
- Coughing up blood
- Brown or pink coloring to urine
- Joint pain
- Joint swelling
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Weakness
Patients who suffer any abnormalities after taking Pradaxa should seek medical help immediately. These adverse side effects do not need a long period of time to develop, so the patient must seek medical consultation should any suspicious signs arise from taking Pradaxa.
The Pradaxa lawsuits filed against Boehringer Ingelheim allege that the company used deceptive marketing practices in its promotional campaign, failing to properly warn consumers of the risks associated with Pradaxa, and failing to provide appropriate treatment to remedy the internal bleeding.
If you believe that you or a loved one have been harmed by Pradaxa in any way, please visit the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review. If you qualify for legal action, an experienced Pradaxa injury attorney will contact you and guide you through the litigation process gently, with no hidden fees or out-of-pocket charges. The Pradaxa attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.
Updated May 8th, 2013
All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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