Lawsuits Brought Against Xarelto for Internal Bleeding

 Posted on October 09, 2014 in Defective Drugs & Treatments

Xarelto is a blood thinner prescribed to patients at high risk of blood clots or strokes and is widely prescribed by the medical community. It can also be used to treat pulmonary embolism and can be used to reduce the risk of clotting in a person who has just undergone joint replacement surgery. According to the Xarelto website, more than 9 million people worldwide have been prescribed Xarelto for various reasons. The only people not recommended to take the drug, according to the website, are people who have artificial heart valves or abnormal types of bleeding. Yet the drug has come under fire lately after many patients and the loved ones of patients complained that the drug resulted in hemorrhaging in otherwise healthy users of the drug.

According to WebMD.com, hemorrhaging is a common side effect that can accompany the less common side effects of taking Xarelto, which can include, but are not limited to:

• The collection of clotted blood in an organ;
• Dizziness or sensations of feeling faint;
• Brain hemorrhaging;
• Backache or arthritis;
• Indigestion; and
• Low energy or muscle spasms.

Since patients began coming forward with cases indicating that Xarelto was responsible for these side effects, many lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturer of the drug for failing to properly alert the medical community to the risks. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Xarelto was originally approved for use in 2011, and expanded uses—to treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism—were approved in 2012. All blood thinners carry the risk of uncontrollable bleeding, yet the risk is more serious with Xarelto than other approved drugs, especially because of its many approved uses. Lawsuits allege that Xarelto's manufacturer, Bayer, and marketing team (overseen by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals), did not fully vet the possibility of severe bleeding before releasing the drug to market, after failing to allow time for proper clinical trials before the drug was release to the public.

If you or someone you know has experienced severe side effects from Xarelto, you may be eligible for compensation. The most important step is to seek the counsel of a defective drug attorney. Contact an Illinois defective medical device lawyer for a free phone consultation today.