Product Liability Lawyer Blog
Xarelto is a member of a new class of oral anticoagulant medications proscribed to patients who suffer from a serious medical condition known as atrial fibrillation (Afib). Afib patients are at increased risk for certain types of serious medical conditions related to clotting disorders. When an Afib patient in not properly medicated, he or she is more likely to develop large and dangerous blood clots deep within his or her veins.
These clots can develop deep within the legs and break loose, causing a medical condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A DVT clot can then travel through the body’s circulatory system until it reaches a vital organ. The clot can puncture the lung, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE), which is often fatal to victims. Additionally, the clots can block the blood supply to the brain, causing the brain to be deprived of oxygen-rich blood and resulting in a stroke.
Traditionally, patients would take Warfarin (Coumadin), which is a blood thinner that has been used for decades to treat Afib patients. But now patients are taking these new oral anticoagulants (NOACs), such as Xarelto, Pradaxa, or Eliquis, to prevent clotting disorders, because they are supposed to be safer for patients and require less monitoring than Warfarin. While Warfarin is safe and effective, if the dose is off, it can lead to serious bleeding disorders. Patients must routinely undergo blood tests, so doctors can monitor how the patient is absorbing Warfarin. Patients must also monitor their diets because certain foods can affect absorption rates.
As our Xarelto injury lawyers can explain, while drug companies may claim these new drugs are safer, they have been shown to cause serious internal bleeding disorders, including intracranial bleeding, and there is no FDA-approved medication to counteract potentially deadly bleeding disorder.
According to a recent article from News-Medical, two studies have been released that are exposing even more problems, including stomach bleeding and eye hemorrhage. An eye hemorrhage, as the name implies, involves a patient who suffers what is essentially a bruise on his or her skin, except instead of being under the skin, the bruise occurs in the eye. As with the other internal bleeding conditions caused by Xarelto, there is no FDA-approved treatment, so if a person comes into an emergency room with eye bruises caused by Xarelto, there may be nothing doctors can do to save the patient’s life before he or she is seriously injured or even dies from exsanguination.
It should be noted, the maker of one of these three drugs is currently devolving an antidote for the medication that is in human trials for efficacy and safety and is expected to be fast-tracked to market by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They have also been able to skip steps during the human trials process, because, since there is no approved cure for Xarelto-related bleeding disorders, giving a dying patient an untested medication might be called a compassionate use that qualifies for fast track treatment.
If you are the victim of Massachusetts product liability due to taking Xarelto, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Two new studies link Xarelto to stomach bleeds and eye hemorrhaging, July 27, 2015, News-Medical
More Blog Entries:
Risk for Internal Bleeding after Taking Pradaxa, August 22, 2014, Boston Dangerous Drugs Injury Lawyer Blog