Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has been given the go-ahead to market a new, 60-milligram dose of their blood thinner Brilinta for longer-term use in patients who have suffered heart attacks. According to Reuters, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new dose for use along with aspirin at any time after a heart attack. Brilinta, an antiplatelet drug used to prevent blood clots, was previously available only at a higher dosage, and could only be used up to one year after a patient’s heart attack.
Meanwhile, other blood thinners continue to struggle, such as Xarelto, an anticoagulant drug approved for use in patients who have undergone certain surgical procedures or have an irregular heartbeat. According to the drug’s manufacturers, Bayer and Janssen Pharmaceutica, Xarelto has been prescribed to over 11 million patients in the United States. Despite its popularity, however, Xarelto has been linked to severe bleeding. What’s more, there is still no cure for bleeding caused by the drug. Other anticoagulants that have been on the market for longer, such as warfarin, have reliable antidotes.
In light of reports of bleeding and Xarelto’s lack of a reversal agent and other concerns, patients have filed Xarelto bleeding lawsuits. Plaintiffs in Xarelto lawsuits claim that Bayer and Janssen Pharmaceutica failed to adequately test their drug, downplaying or concealing warnings that Xarelto could be dangerous to patients.
Earlier this year, over 100 Xarelto lawsuits were centralized in a multidistrict litigation in in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, despite fierce opposition from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson. As of August 17, 294 Xarelto lawsuits were pending in the multidistrict litigation.
Speak with your doctor if you have any concerns about the medication you are taking. If you or a loved one suffered severe bleeding after taking Xarelto, contact Lopez McHugh today for a free consultation with one of our Xarelto lawyers.
