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A Pennsylvania state court has returned a verdict in favor of a person injured by the blood thinner Xarelto in the amount of almost $28 million. The verdict comes on the heels of the third defense verdict in the consolidated Xarelto cases in Louisiana federal court.

Xarelto, made by Bayer and Johnson & Johnson, was introduced in 2011 as an alternative to Warfarin for those suffering atrial fibrillation and to prevent blood clots following surgery. The drug was touted as requiring only one dose per day and minimizing follow-up visits to the doctor.

In 2012, the FDA performed an expedited review on the drug for use to treat deep vein thrombosis.

Image provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine;
not an official image from the manufacturer.

That meant the review period was shortened from the customary ten months to only six.

Also in 2012, the companies’ application for approval of Xarelto for acute coronary syndrome was rejected by the FDA because the risk of serious bleeding was too high.

Print and television ads were used heavily to market the drug, which had sales of $29 million in the first quarter of 2012.

Lawsuits have been filed by individuals injured by bleeding events after taking the drug, alleging that the warnings accompanying the medication were inadequate. Unlike Warfarin, Xarelto has no reversal agent. Once a bleed is identified, patients must wait for the body to rid itself of the drug. Some of the most common injuries suffered by Xarelto users include bleeding on the brain and gastrointestinal bleeding, which can result in hospitalization and sometimes even death.

Cases filed in federal court have been consolidated in front of a Louisiana judge in a multi-district litigation (MDL) proceeding. This type of proceeding is commonly used where multiple plaintiffs have claims against the same defendants, and can help to streamline the discovery process. Three bellwether trials have occurred thus far, all resulting in wins for the defendants.

Those individuals who filed suit in state court in Pennsylvania are moving along a similar but distinct tract. The first trial in Philadelphia resulted in a large win for the plaintiffs, and a great deal of encouragement for those with claims still pending in both venues.

The attorneys at Egerton Law represent individuals injured after taking Xarelto. We will continue to provide reports on developments in these cases. If you believe that you or a loved one may have a claim, contact us by calling 1-800-800-4LAW or by filing out this web contact form.

One Comment

  1. Gravatar for Leffie lige
    Leffie lige

    My nose bleeds for no reason since taking these pills plus I'm on a aspirin ec 81mg 1 tablet by mouth a day. What should I do??

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