Blood Thinner Xarelto Lawsuit Continues to Draw Attention

Regarding the multitude of cases brought against the manufacturers of the anticoagulant drug, Xarelto, Bayer AG, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson, have surpassed 3,000 cases and many allege similar harm as a result of using the drug, reports the Digital Journal.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) approved the consolidation of 2,800 individual cases into one, centralized case known as an MDL. The combination lawsuit is pending in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. A similar situation occurred in Pennsylvania, where 550 cases merged to form a mass tort program pending in state court in the Philadelphia Court of Common Plea, according the Digital Journal.

The similarity of stated grievances and the allegations brought against the drug manufacturers are the rationale motivating these combinations. Plaintiffs claim that because neither they nor their doctors were properly apprised of the possible elevated risk for the occurrence of spontaneous dangerous bleeding episodes connected with taking the Xarelto, they were placed in danger of harm without proper warning.

Approval was granted by the FDA in 2011 for the new-generation anticoagulant, Xarelto. It was at first intended for use by those suffering from pulmonary embolism or deep vein thromboses and for those recovering from hip or knee replacement surgery. Uses were expanded shortly thereafter for individuals with atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition that increases the risk for stroke.

In the recent past, a similar case was made against the drug Pradaxa, which resulted in a multitude of lawsuits which were settled out of court, reports the Digital Journal.