Bayer Announces New Xarelto Trials
According to Reuters, the German pharmaceutical company Bayer recently announced that it is making plans to launch three Xarelto trials on additional uses for Xarelto, its anticoagulant drug commonly prescribed to patients who are at risk for strokes and blood clots. Xarelto, one of Bayer’s top five new medicinal drugs, reached sales of $1.7 billion in a period of twelve months. Some analysts predict that by 2020 annual sales could very well rise to over $9.5 billion.
Bayer plans to initiate two Phase III Xarelto trials in conjunction with Johnson & Johnson. One of the trials will test Xarelto on patients who have suffered embolic strokes of undetermined sources. The other trial will test the drug on patients with peripheral artery disease.
Bayer also intends to initiate a Phase II trial in order to evaluate the effects of Xarelto on patients who have suffered an acute coronary syndrome. Bayer stated that if the study is successful, they would follow up with a Phase III trial.
Despite its perceived success in sales and the confidence demonstrated by Bayer’s decision to further Xarelto trials, Xarelto has been a controversial drug since its release, and Bayer has been confronted with a number of major lawsuits over the years. These lawsuits claim that the drug poses an excessive degree of health risk to patients and therefore has been defective ever since its initial formulation. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received an increasing number of adverse reports stating serious side effects as a result of taking Xarelto, including severe hemorrhaging. Anticoagulants in general have long been regarded as a high-risk class of prescription drugs, due to the danger of internal bleeding. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices found that anticoagulants caused internal hemorrhaging in fifteen percent of patients with atrial fibrillation exposed for a year. In their report, the Institute criticized manufacturers for “marketing the drug for ease of use rather than providing tools to reduce bleeding risk.”
If you would like more information about Xarelto lawsuits, or if you or someone you know has been negatively affected by Xarelto, contact Attorney Group today. We can discuss your situation and help you determine if you have a case. If you decide to pursue a claim, we can also connect you with an affiliated attorney. Contact us today for your free consultation.
