According to the Madison Record, a $4.35 million Madison County Xarelto lawsuit has been transferred to the multidistrict litigation court, where it joins roughly 250 similar Xarelto lawsuits. The lawsuit stems from a 90-count complaint filed in January against the various companies responsible for Xarelto, including Bayer and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The plaintiff has accused the manufacturers of Xarelto of overstating the efficacy of their drug and failing to disclose Xarelto’s increased risk of bleeding.
Xarelto was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011 for use as an anticoagulant, or blood-thinning drug. It is intended to prevent blood clotting in patients undergoing certain procedures or with irregular heartbeats. However, many patients have reported that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson’s drug can cause severe or fatal bleeding. Xarelto lawsuits allege that the anticoagulant did not receive proper testing before it was introduced to the market, and that certain side effects caused by Xarelto were understated or even concealed to secure sales.
The Madison County lawsuit alleges that the companies behind Xarelto marketed their product as a safe, effective way to prevent embolisms and stroke despite evidence to the contrary. Clinical trials conducted before Xarelto’s release indicated an increased risk of bleeding; but according to the plaintiff, the Xarelto manufacturers excluded this information when promoting their drug. The lawsuit states that the makers of Xarelto spent at least $11 million dollars promoting their drug, and ended up with roughly $582 million in sales in 2011.
The Madison Record cites allegations of “strict product liability, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, common law fraud, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation and strict products liability.”
Speak with a doctor or physician before making any changes to your health care plan. If you or someone you know suffered severe bleeding after taking Xarelto, you should contact Lopez McHugh to speak free of charge with one of our experienced Xarelto lawyers.
