Xarelto is one of the newest blood thinners on the market and carries with it some dangerous side effects. The drug has only been available for a few years and alleges that no regular blood monitoring or frequent check-ups with a physician are necessary. Unfortunately, the drug is showing to have many of the same dangers associated with other blood thinners which may prove fatal and has led many to file a Xarelto lawsuit.
“It is regrettably too often the case that drug companies know about the dangers their products pose to patients and fail to do enough to make those dangers known,” commented Ned McWilliams, a partner with the Levin, Papantonio law firm who practices in the areas of bad drug and defective device litigation. “When these companies choose to withhold critical information about the safety of their products, it’s patients that suffer in the end.”
Xarelto claims to not require close blood monitoring or physician follow ups, despite no antidote for the drug existing to prevent the excessive, even potentially fatal, bleeding, which is a known side effect. Among the other known side effects are abdominal bleeding, rectal bleeding, brain hemorrhage, abnormal liver function, and reduced platelet levels.
Additionally, the company has yet to issue information for how to treat the uncontrolled bleeding to physicians, despite the drug being one of Bayer’s top five grossing medicines in the United States, according to Reuters. In 2013, the drug grossed $1.3 billion, and that amount is projected to triple this year.
Joshua is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. You can follow him on Twitter @Joshual33.
