The German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, which manufactures the oral anticoagulant drug Pradaxa, has launched a new Pradaxa study examining how patients with atrial fibrillation react to using Pradaxa while undergoing cardiac ablation, a process that is meant to fix an abnormal heart rhythm.
Why the Study is Being Conducted
Atrial fibrillation is a type of abnormal heartbeat that manifests as a fast and irregular “flutter” rather than the normal, rhythmic heartbeat of a healthy person. In some patients, episodes of atrial fibrillation are sporadic and infrequent while, in others, the condition is constant.
This Pradaxa study is being conducted because there are currently no international guidelines governing the use of oral anticoagulants during cardiac ablation. Therefore, many patients are uneducated as to what is safest and healthiest. Blood thinning is often paramount for patients with atrial fibrillation, especially those undergoing ablation, to prevent serious complications such as stroke, embolism, and blood clots. Boehringer Ingelheim also hopes the Pradaxa study will determine how Pradaxa rates in safety and efficacy among atrial fibrillation patients as compared to its competitor, warfarin.
What is Pradaxa?
Pradaxa is the brand name for the oral anticoagulant (blood thinner) dabigatran. It is prescribed to thin the blood in patients with irregular heartbeats to lessen the chances of strokes and blood clots. It was introduced as an alternative to warfarin, which for years was considered the gold standard for oral anticoagulants. Boehringer Ingelheim is taking special care to juxtapose Pradaxa specifically with warfarin in its Pradaxa study. The company’s hope is that clinical trials will prove its drug to be safer and more efficient than its longstanding competitor, though the results of the study are not planned to be revealed until 2016.
Possible Side-Effects of Pradaxa
Pradaxa is currently under heavy litigation, blamed for over 500 deaths within only two years of its release. Numerous personal-injury and product-liability lawsuits filed against its manufacturer report instances of hemorrhaging and uncontrollable bleeding, resulting in patient death. In addition, a Pradaxa study published in March 2012 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that patients taking Pradaxa were more likely to experience heart attacks as a side effect compared to patients taking warfarin.
Contact Attorney Group
If you or a loved one have taken Pradaxa and experienced internal bleeding or hemorrhaging as a result, whether you have atrial fibrillation or not, contact Attorney Group today. We can answer any additional questions you may have, address your concerns, and inform you of your legal options. We can review your case in a free, no-obligation consultation to determine whether you have a claim. If you do, an affiliated attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf and guide you through the legal process. Call today.
