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Sheller.com reports on another lawsuit filed against manufacturers of the drug Xarelto, claiming that it has caused gastrointestinal bleeding. The lawsuit was filed by a woman from Ohio who claims that she was prescribed the drug to prevent strokes associated with her atrial fibrillation. In less than a year, the plaintiff stated that she was experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding, which she alleges was caused by the drug.

The Background

Xarelto originally emerged as a blockbuster drug in 2011. It was approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that year, and has since achieved over $1 billion in annual sales throughout the United States. The drug has also grabbed the largest market share currently for all anticoagulants. As a new type of blood thinner, it provided certain conveniences for those using it that traditional blood thinners hadn’t been able to. Also, as a one-size-fits-all pill, it allowed users to take just one pill every 24 hours. This success, however, has come with some controversies.

A Risky Blood Thinner?

Xarelto has become considered by many as the most dangerous blood thinner currently on the market. This is due to the fact that it has no antidote. When patients taking Xarelto are injured and experience bleeding (either external or internal) this bleeding cannot clot and stop, so physicians have to resort to life-saving measures such as blood transfusions to try to save them. The effects of traditional blood thinners are countered by vitamin K, so when patients on traditional blood thinners injure themselves and are bleeding, physicians can treat them with vitamin K and their blood will clot.

1,700 Xarelto Lawsuits and Counting

Currently, Xarelto has been the subject of over 1,700 lawsuits federally, which have been consolidated to form multidistrict litigation. Plaintiffs involved in the suit allege that the drug causes episodes of uncontrollable bleeding and that manufacturers have neglected to sufficiently warn consumers of these risks. Some of the latest lawsuits additionally allege that advertisements marketing the drug are misleading.

The Xarelto lawsuit MDL, MDL number 2592, is being overseen in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana by U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon. The judge is currently preparing four bellwether trials to take place in 2017. Meanwhile, across the U.S., other suits concerning the product continue to be filed, including here in Philadelphia where there are approximately 400 lawsuits pending in a mass tort group.

Attorney Marc Goldich is currently working to ensure that anyone who has experienced adverse health effects after using Xarelto is able to explore their legal rights. These individuals may be entitled to compensation.

For additional information on this subject, or to ask questions, please contact Marc Goldich, Esq.

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