Lawsuits, Side Effects, and Updates on Xarelto Litigation

With thousands of reported side effects, the blood thinning drug Xarelto has been controversial since its initial approval for medical use in 2011. Nevertheless, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) submitted a Supplemental New Drug Application on Dec. 14 for Xarelto to be used as a preventative treatment method for blood clots in medically ill patients. Xarelto has already been approved to treat other conditions including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and Atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Xarelto was originally presented as a safer blood thinning drug that would reduce AFib patients’ risk of having a stroke. Instead, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturer J&J and the marketer Bayer Healthcare on behalf of individuals who experienced life-threatening or fatal side effects while taking Xarelto. Most commonly, patients cite side effects including irreversible internal bleeding, hemorrhages, strokes, and even death. With this being said, if you are or a loved one are currently taking Xarelto, it is essential to continue taking it until speaking with a medical professional.

So far, plaintiffs have struggled to hold J&J accountable on initial trials but as of November 2018, more than 23,000 Xarelto lawsuits remain pending in the United States court system. Even so, a rising number of individuals joining the fight against Xarelto manufacturers will only increase the likelihood of Big Pharma manufacturers and distributors being held accountable for the harms they cause. If you or anyone you know has faced unexpected adverse effects from taking Xarelto in the form of an uncontrolled bleeding event, reaching out to a legal expert to discuss your options is something to highly consider.