Bayer and Johnson & Johnson face a new Xarelto lawsuit filed on behalf of a Texas woman, who alleges that the drug makers failed to provide consumers and the medical community with adequate warnings about the risk of bleeding complications linked to the blood thinner. The lawsuit was filed by Jeanne Jeffcoat in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on July 29, and alleges that Xarelto treatment resulted in a life-threatening bleeding event that left her with permanent injuries. If you took the blood thinner Xarelto, and you have since suffered a major bleeding event or another potential drug side effect, our consumer advocates at the Consumer Justice Foundation can help put you in touch with a reputable attorney who has experience handling Xarelto bleeding claims.
Jeffcoat’s suit joins a growing number of complaints filed on behalf of individuals throughout the country who suffered serious bleeding complications while taking Xarelto. All of the Xarelto lawsuits involve similar allegations that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson aggressively promoted the potentially dangerous drug as a superior alternative to warfarin, without adequately warning the public about the risk of serious bleeding events associated with the anticoagulant. The complaints also allege that the drug companies failed to warn about the lack of an approved antidote that doctors could use to reverse the blood thinning effects of the drug in the event of an internal bleeding problem.
Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a new-generation anticoagulant developed by Bayer and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit, and introduced in late 2011. It belongs to a class of blood thinner drugs known as direct thrombin inhibitors, which are used to reduce the risk of strokes and blood clots. Although Bayer and Janssen have indicated that they are now working with another company to develop a reversal agent for Xarelto bleeding events, plaintiffs involved in the Xarelto litigation allege that the drug makers knew about the risk of bleeding complications linked to Xarelto treatment, and intentionally withheld this information from consumers and the medical community.
According to Jeffcoat, she began using Xarelto in March 2012, and subsequently suffered a life-threatening bleed that caused her pain, suffering and emotional distress, and that has left her with severe and permanent injuries. “In the year leading up to June 30, 2012, there were 1,080 Xarelto-associated ‘Serious Adverse Event’ Medwatch Reports filed with the FDA, including at least 65 deaths,” the lawsuit states. “At the close of the 2012 fiscal year, a total of 2,081 new Xarelto-associated SAR reports were filed with the FDA in its first full year on the market, ranking tenth among other pharmaceuticals in direct reports to the FDA. Of those reported events, 151 resulted in death, as compared to only 56 deaths associated with warfarin.”
Although Xarelto and other newer blood thinners, like Pradaxa, have been promoted as superior to warfarin, an anticoagulant that has been on the market for decades, serious concerns have been raised about the safety of these medications. According to reports provided by the FDA, Xarelto bleeding problems result in death in 8% of all cases, which is double the fatality rate for warfarin bleeding complications. If you believe you have been adversely affected by side effects of Xarelto, or another potentially dangerous pharmaceutical drug, contact a reputable Xarelto attorney today for legal help. You may have grounds to file a product liability lawsuit against Bayer and Johnson & Johnson, in order to pursue financial compensation for your injuries and medical bills.
