A new study in the August issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery has found that a certain type of anticoagulant drug, named Xarelto, causes bleeding that is less easily controlled. Consequently, people taking Xarelto are more prone to uncontrolled bleeding that can be life-threatening.
Xarelto is a type of anticoagulant drug that was approved by the FDA in July 2011 for use in patients to reduce the chance of clots in patients that underwent hip or knee replacement surgery.  It is manufactured by Bayer and marketed by Johnson and Johnson. Use of the drug was then extended by the FDA for patients with atrial fibrillation (to prevent strokes), deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Xarelto is a Factor Xa inhibitor anticoagulant. It does not have a known reversal agent. In contrast, warfarin, another blood thinning drug can be quickly reversed with Vitamin K. Therefore, if someone has unexpected bleeding while taking warfarin, he or she can be easily treated. However, if the same thing occurs while a person is taking Xarelto, he or she cannot be treated and risks bleeding to death. According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, there were 680 serious adverse events in 2013 alone reported by people taking Xarelto including serious bleeding events.  Since approval in 2011, there have been 2100 serious adverse effects including 150 deaths. Surgeons also report extreme difficulty when treating brain hemorrhage patients who are taking Xarelto.
Obviously there’s a major problem here, and Bayer and Johnson & Johnson did not sufficiently explore the side effects of this powerful medication. Those who have been hurt by the use of Xarelto have legal rights. It’s important to protect your rights by speaking with an attorney at Ingerman & Horwitz as soon as possible.
If you or your loved ones have experienced any adverse effects from taking Xarelto or another Factor Xa inhibitor drug, please contact us a 1-800-776-4529 so we can evaluate your case.
