Pradaxa Injury Lawsuits Begin To Roll In

A growing number of Pradaxa lawsuits are being filed nationwide on behalf of individuals who suffered severe and sometimes fatal bleeding problems after taking the relatively new blood thinner. 

Since it was reported earlier this month that the first federal lawsuit over Pradaxa was filed, at least five more complaints have been brought in U.S. District Courts throughout the United States, including Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

All of the lawsuits involve similar allegations that the drug maker, Boehringer Ingelheim, sold a dangerous and defective product without providing adequate warnings for the public or medical community about the risk of bleeding with Pradaxa. The drug maker also allegedly failed to adequately warn that there is no reversal agent for Pradaxa, which may increase the consequences of bleeding events that do occur.

Pradaxa (dabigatran) is a relatively new blood thinner, which was introduced by Boehringer Ingelheim in the United States in October 2010, as a superior alternative to Coumadin (warfarin) for prevention of strokes among individuals with atrial fibrillations. 

The lawsuits come amid growing concerns in the medical community about the staggering number of adverse event reports associated with the medication, including hundreds of cases involving severe hemorrhages and deaths from Pradaxa.

According to a report released by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in January 2012, more instances of Pradaxa hemorrhages were reported to the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System during the first quarter of 2011 than were reported in association with any other drug monitored by the group.  At least 505 instances involving Pradaxa bleeding events were reported, compared to 176 cases reported with warfarin/Coumadin, which was second on the list.

Although Pradaxa has been promoted as a superior alternative to Coumadin (warfarin), because it requires less monitoring, the medication lacks a method for doctors to control bleeding problems that do occur. Among users of the older, cheaper drug Coumadin, bleeding events can be addressed by giving the patient a dose of Vitamin K.

Over the coming months, the number of Pradaxa injury lawsuits is expected to continue to increase as lawyers throughout the United States continue to review and file new cases for individuals who have experienced bleeding problems.