In 2011, a new drug named Xarelto was approved for the purposes of preventing blood clots and strokes. Manufactured by Bayer AG and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the drug targeted patients who suffer from Pulmonary Embolism (PE), Atrial Fibrillation (Afib), and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Since its release, the drug has done very well in the market, with the company making sales of about $2 billion in 2015 alone. In fact, it is reported that within the first quarter of 2016, Bayer has already made above $500 million.
However, it is the injuries caused by this drug that have attracted the most attention. Patients who have taken this drug claim that they have suffered severe side effects, including uncontrolled bleeding. Since the drug is relatively new in the market, no antidote has been developed yet to counter these dangerous side effects. As such, thousands of lawsuits have been filled against the manufacturer, Bayer, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and Jenssen Pharmaceuticals.
Reason for the complaints
So far, thousands of Xarelto lawsuits have been filed against Bayer and J&J. There are already 4,500 cases filed on Eldon E. Fallon, a Louisiana Federal judge. Many more have also been filed in various state law courts and the number is still growing. The people who have sued the manufacturer claim that the company sought to make profit before fully testing the drug’s side effects. They say that this can be attested to by the fact that the Xarelto does not have any antidote to control its harmful effects.
The users who have been harmed by this drug claim that it was wrong for the company to have released the drug without sufficiently warning its users about the dangers it exposed them to. Some of the claims made against the makers of Xarelto include compensation for:
– Financial losses suffered due to regular medical check-ups, hospital visits, and lost income
– Emotional strain suffered by family members who have had to care for their loved ones
– Death and funeral related expenses for those who have lost loved ones
– Lack of standard of care by the manufacturer in regards to their clients
Injuries Related to Xarelto
A report released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012 proved that hundreds of bleeding-related deaths linked to Xarelto were reported. The report indicated that, although most of the blood thinners present in the market today are dangerous, Xarelto had the most severe effects. The types of bleeding reported in relation to the drug include:
– Intestinal bleeding
– Parechymal Hemorrhage
– Rectal bleeding
– Wound infection for knee and hip operation patients.
Unlike most of the other blood thinner drugs, Xarelto does not have dosage adjustment for various types of patients. The same dosage is given for every patient who buys this drug. According to the experts, this is what makes Xarelto so dangerous. Since the drug has what is called a ‘Low Therapeutic Index’, small alterations to the optimal intake can have adverse effects to a patient.
The chances that this can happen are very high because the bodily make-up of each human being is unique. The quantity that may be fitting for one individual can be very harmful to another. This makes the drug potentially dangerous and it has been the main cause of increased Xarelto lawsuitsacross the country.
