On January 26 in Miami, Florida, the US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPMDL) heard a motion to create a new Eliquis multidistrict litigation in New York. Currently, this litigation is comprised of 34 related actions filed in 12 different federal districts. The Michael Brady Lynch firm is seeking justice for our clients who took Eliquis and suffered various bleeding-related injuries. Manufacturers failed to warn adequately about the bleeding risks. Additionally, the drug should not have been sold without blood monitoring precautions or an antidote.
Eliquis Flawed All Along
Researchers have linked Eliquis, like the oral anticoagulants Pradaxa and Xarelto, to an increased risk of uncontrolled bleeding (hemorrhaging). This is because the drug prevents stroke by inhibiting the blood clotting mechanism.
Warfarin, an older anticoagulant in use for over 50 years in the U.S., also prevents blood from clotting. However, doctors can reverse warfarin with a single dose of vitamin K. No such antidote exists with Eliquis, so once a bleeding event starts, it is nearly impossible to stop.
Eliquis should have never been on the market, to begin with. The FDA approved Eliquis contingent upon an extremely flawed study called ARISTOTLE (Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thrombotic Events in Atrial Fibrillation). This study had extremely inaccurate and sometimes missing data. Many patients did not receive the correct medication or dosage. Additionally, researchers failed to report adverse events in the study, this included participant deaths.
Blood Thinner Lawsuits
Because the manufacturers Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer should have never skewed the study results and warned consumers of the medication’s risks, many are filing suits. Eliquis is not safer than warfarin and the manufacturers could be found negligent.
Eliquis is not the only oral anticoagulant facing litigation. Pradaxa and Xarelto both faced the same backlash for their side effects.
Pradaxa Settles Lawsuits for $650 Million
The Michael Brady Lynch Firm’s lead trial attorney and founder Attorney Michael Brady Lynch served on the Plaintiff Steering Committee in Pradaxa MDL #2385. In this case, manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim settled Pradaxa claims for over $650 million in 2014 from accusations of uncontrollable bleeding and deaths.
Xarelto Lawsuits Pile Up in MDL
In 2014, a panel of judges granted the request of The Michael Brady Lynch Firm and others to centralize more than 50 Xarelto lawsuits to the Eastern District of Louisiana. Plaintiffs blame the drug for causing ing uncontrollable bleeding, including intestinal bleeding and brain hemorrhaging. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) is still pending.
These anticoagulants are dangerous, and the attorneys at The Michael Brady Lynch Firm know how to go up against huge pharmaceutical giants like Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer and win. Contact us today to set up a free consultation during which we will listen to you and discuss your legal rights and options. If you choose us to represent you, we will work with you on a contingency fee basis; this means you pay nothing until we have secured compensation for you, either through a jury verdict or settlement.