Pradaxa Manufacturer May Be Facing Thousands of Lawsuits
When the blood-thinning drug Pradaxa was introduced, it was hailed as a safer, more convenient alternative to the older stroke-preventing drug Warfarin, which called for weekly physician monitoring and dietary restrictions.
However, since that initial rosy prediction, reports of serious side effects and deaths associated with the drug have led to hundreds of lawsuits from patients and their families claiming they were not properly warned about Pradaxa.
Frighteningly, while Warfarin has an antidote to stop internal bleeding incidents, Pradaxa does not. Last year alone, some 3,871 serious side effects from Pradaxa were reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2011, 542 Pradaxa-related deaths were reported in the United States. Hundreds of deaths have also been reported in Europe. According to the institute of Safe Medication Practices, the drug has accounted for more reports of death or injury than some 800 other medications.
Pradaxa has been prescribed to millions of patients, resulting in worldwide sales of over $1 billion for the drug’s manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim.
The hundreds of pharmaceutical lawsuits that have been filed in federal court so far have been consolidated and will be overseen by a U.S. District Judge in Illinois. The first case for trial has been set for March 2014.
An attorney associated with the Pradaxa cases says that as many as 4,000 lawsuits may be filed against Boehringer before all is said and done. According to Bloomberg News, experts close to the litigation think the drugmaker is likely to negotiate a global settlement to resolve the claims, rather than fight them in court.
If you, or loved one, has been harmed by the serious side effects of a dangerous drug or medication, call the Florida Pradaxa illness attorneys at Farah & Farah at (800) 533-3555. You may have legal recourse to hold the drug manufacturer liable for damages. Contact us today to see if you have a case.
