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Plavix Lawsuits are currently being investigated for anyone suffering Gastrointestinal/Cerebral Bleeding, Heart Attacks or other serious side effects from taking Plavix. REQUEST YOUR FREE PLAVIX LAWSUIT EVALUATION!

Plavix Side Effects Lawsuits based on Gastrointestinal, Cerebral Bleeding, Heart Attacks and more

Plavix  Lawsuits, Side Effects Include: Heart Attacks, Strokes, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP), Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Internal Hemorrhaging.

Plavix, a blood thinner that is purported to prevent blood clots, heart attacks and strokes, could be doing many patients more harm than good. Lawsuits on Plavix are being investigated due to serious side effects, including the heart attacks and strokes it is supposed to prevent, as well as gastrointestinal bleeding, bleeding ulcers, cerebral bleeding, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and other problems.

In many cases, these Plavix side effects can have fatal outcomes. It has become clear that Plavix was rushed to market without enough testing to protect users from possible serious side effects, and that in many cases, its benefits do not outweigh its risks.

If you or a loved one suffered from a serious Plavix side effect, you may be eligible to file a Plavix lawsuit and receive compensation for your injuries. The defective drug attorneys at the personal injury law firm of Parker Waichman LLP are offering free Plavix lawsuit evaluations to anyone who suffered a heart attack, stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding, TTP or other Plavix side effect. We urge you to contact Parker Waichman LLP today to protect your legal rights.

Plavix Side Effects

Plavix (generic: clopidogrel bisulfate) was approved in 1997 for prevention of blood clots and to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Plavix is the sixth top selling drug in the U.S., with sales totaling $3.8 billion dollars.

As far back as 1998, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) expressed its concern with the claims made by the drug’s manufacturers, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals about Plavix. The agency charged that the companies falsely credited Plavix with the ability to be more effective than aspirin in treating heart disease.

In fact, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients taking Plavix were 12 times more likely than those taking aspirin and a heartburn pill to experience severe gastrointestinal bleeding and chronic ulcers. Moreover, research revealed that Plavix and aspirin combined offered patients NO BENEFIT over standard low-dose aspirin therapy. Plavix was also found to be associated with increased risk for moderate and serious bleeding. The study concluded that the cost and risks of Plavix did not justify its use for the prevention of coronary artery disease and heart attack.

Potential Plavix side effects include:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Bone Marrow Damage
• Gastrointestinal & Cerebral Bleeding or Ulcers - Plavix may cause potentially fatal hemorrhaging, including severe gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with a history of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) or other stomach conditions.
• Bleeding Ulcers
• Cerebral Bleeding
• Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) - A rare blood condition that causes blood clots to form in small blood vessels throughout the body. The blood clots can cause serious problems if they block the blood vessels and limit blood flow to the brain, kidneys, or heart.
• Death

Legal Help for Victims of Plavix Side Effects

If you or a loved one suffered a heart attack, stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding or TTP while taking Plavix, you may have valuable legal rights. Parker Waichman LLP wants you to discuss your case with one of our Plavix side effect lawyers, fill out our online form, or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636) today.

Plavix Timeline

Nov. 17, 1997: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Plavix to prevent and reduce the occurrence of atherosclerotic events such as myocardial infarction, stroke and blood clots in patients who have a history these diseases. The drug is manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Jan. 20, 2005: The New England Journal of Medicine publishes a study showing that Plavix patients tend to have a higher rate of ulcers than patients taking aspirin combined with a heartburn pill. Lead author Dr. Francis Chan states that some patients should also consider switching to Aspirin because it is much less expensive than Plavix, and available over-the-counter.

Apr. 20, 2006: The New England Journal of Medicine publishes a study demonstrating that Plavix combined with Aspirin has no significant benefit over Aspirin therapy alone in treating patients at risk for atherosclerotic events.

Aug. 8, 2006: Canadian manufacturer Apotex Corp. markets a generic version of Plavix as part of an “at-risk launch”. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Sanofi argue that their patent is valid, and Apotex should not be allowed to sell the drug.

Aug. 17, 2006: The FDA approves Plavix for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients who are not undergoing angioplasty. A STEMI is a severe type of heart attack triggered by the completely blocked artery.

Jan. 26, 2009: The FDA announces an ongoing safety review of Plavix used in combination with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as omeprazole (sold under the brand name Prilosec, Prevacid). The agency cites conflicted findings about this interaction; some studies indicate that PPIs may reduce the effectiveness of Plavix, while others do not. The FDA also informs the public that the effectiveness of Plavix may vary between patients based on their genetic metabolic tendencies.

May 2009: The FDA includes information about the reduced effectiveness of Plavix in patients who are unable to properly metabolize the drug.

Nov. 17, 2009: The FDA states that the Plavix safety label will be updated, and cites data showing that anti-clotting activity may be half as effective when Plavix is taken with omeprazole.

2010: Plavix sales reach over $6.1 billion in the U.S. and $9.1 billion worldwide.

Mar. 12, 2010: The FDA issues a “black box warning” for Plavix, to “Warn about reduced effectiveness in patients who are poor metabolizers of Plavix. Poor metabolizers do not effectively convert Plavix to its active form in the body.” Genetic testing is available to determine whether or not a patient can properly metabolize Plavix.

Jan. 2011: The FDA extends Plavix’s patent expiration date by an additional six months. The date is now set for May 17, 2012.

Feb. 8, 2012: Apotex pays over $442 million to end the patent infringement case with Plavix manufacturers.

Feb. 21, 2012: The Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease journal publishes a study showing that Aspirin can be just as effective as Plavix in improving leg circulation for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

References:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/97/020839_plavix_toc.cfm http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2006/ucm108712.htm
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/ucm079520.htm
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/ucm190787.htm
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm203888.htm http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/02/21/aspirin-as-good-as-plavix-for-poor-leg-circulation-study http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E0D61338F933A15752C0A9639C8B63 http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa060989
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/27/top-selling-drugs-are-about-to-lose-patent-protection-ready/ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704698004576104241735368126.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500395_162-57373391/drugmaker-pays-$442m-in-plavix-patent-case/ http://www.inpharm.com/news/155632/plavix-sales-plummet-england