Lawsuits are being filed over the use of the blood-thinning drug Xarelto and, although it is early in the litigation, lawyers believe there may be a substantial number of cases filed in the future. Some Xarelto lawyers are looking to create a Philadelphia mass tort program for the Xarelto lawsuits as the numbers of cases continues to grow. A recent story in The Legal Intelligencer notes that cases are being filed against a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary called Janssen Pharmaceuticals as well as Bayer HealthCare Corporation.
Xarelto is generally given to patients who are suffering from atrial fibrillation or pulmonary embolism. The lawsuits allege that the drug can cause uncontrollable and sometimes fatal bleeding. Some lawyers see similarities to Pradaxa lawsuits filed over internal bleeding. Earlier this year, a settlement of $650 million was reached over the Pradaxa cases.
Attorneys who are handling these new cases say that a creation of multi-district litigation (MDL) in federal court is also a possibility but it is still too early to tell if that will develop. While the possibility of Philadelphia mass tort program for Xarelto is up in the air, most Xarelto lawyers agree that there is potential for the cases to accumulate in serious numbers.
Xarelto was a recent approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Despite its relatively short time on the market, it has garnered approximately $1 billion in sales revenue since 2011. Xarelto prescriptions increased significantly after the commonly prescribed blood thinner Coumadin went off patent.
The Xarelto lawsuits allege that doctors were not properly informed of the risks of uncontrollable, increased bleeding in patients who took the medication. In addition, some plaintiffs allege that Xarelto marketing, which led to the dramatic increase in prescriptions in such a short time, failed to disclose the risks of bleeding that in some cases were fatal.
Lopez McHugh attorneys are experienced in handling cases against large pharmaceutical companies whose negligence has caused harm to consumers. If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury because of medication with inadequate warnings, like Pradaxa or Xarelto, you could be entitled to financial compensation. Contact a Lopez McHugh Xarelto lawyer today.
