Attorney Group for Louisiana would like to call your attention to an important matter. Due to traumatic and very serious injuries reportedly being linked to the prescription drug Pradaxa, if you or anyone you know takes Pradaxa, please read the information below and contact Louisiana Pradaxa Attorneys if you have any questions.
Pradaxa, also known as Dabigatran, is an anti-stroke medication that was recently approved by the FDA as an alternative to Warfarin. It works as an anticoagulant intended to prevent blood clots from forming in the brain via the accretion of platelets. Especially designed for individuals at risk for stroke who experience nonvalvular atrial fibrilation—a specific type of arrhythmia—and is known as a direct thrombic inhibitor. Administration of this drug is specifically discouraged if the patient has active bleeding disorders related to recent surgery or other condition, or an artificial heart valve. However, this medication can also pose a serious threat to others who take it. Louisiana Pradaxa Attorneys seek compensation on behalf of patients for injuries possibly linked to Pradaxa use.
History
Prior to the introduction of Pradaxa, anticoagulant treatments consisted of an intravenous treatment called Heparin, which was formulated for the market in 1936. Because of the level of difficulty associated with administration and the side effects it caused, Warfarin, also known by its brand names Coumadin or Jantoven, was introduced as an oral alternative. However, a regimen of the drug can be difficult to manage due to dietary restrictions and the associated side effects of brain hemorrhages and other fatal internal bleeding. A cardiologist affiliated with Duke University observed that Warfarin is one of leading causes of emergency room fatalities in the United States.
Pradaxa was originally marketed as a more easily managed alternative to Warfarin, with fewer side effects and does not have to be monitored as closely as Warfarin. Approved for use by the FDA in October of 2010, within a year nearly 16 percent of patients with atrial fibrillation were taking the new medication. Pradaxa was promoted for use in the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2011, Boehrenger Ingelheim, the German manufacturer for Pradaxa, spent $464 million to promote the drug. It reported earnings of more than $1 billion in sales of the drug in 2012.
By the year 2012 more than 3.7 million American patients had filled prescriptions for the new drug. It’s estimated that sales for Pradaxa in the United States alone surpassed $1 billion—a tenth of the estimated $10 billion dollar national annual earnings for the anticoagulant market. However lucrative, to date the drug has been implicated in more than 500 deaths due to complications caused by its use. This has necessitated an intensive legal campaign in the United States to protect those who may have been injured as a direct result of taking Pradaxa or its generic forms. Pradaxa lawsuits are intended to help you seek compensation for injuries that may have been caused by taking Pradaxa.
Uses and Associated Side Effects
Pradaxa, intended to mitigate the risk of stroke or fatal blood clots in patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation but present no presence of heart disease, outperformed Warfarin in preliminary clinical trials without the restrictions that come with Warfarin. In Europe, it is used to prevent postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE)—a fatal condition in which a clot develops in the legs and travels to the lungs—after knee and hip surgeries. However, Pradaxa also comes with an elevated price tag—$3,000 annually, as opposed to $200—and still presents some of the same complications as the former reigning anticoagulant.
Because the apparent side effects of using Pradaxa are minimal, patients may ignore signs that something is seriously wrong. Patients may experience side effects that seem like a small annoyance more than a warning sign, such as indigestion, stomach pain, heartburn, or nausea.
These mild-seeming complaints can actually be indicative of much deeper problems. Other common side effects reported can include a host of other, more disturbing symptoms.
- Belching
- Black, tarry or bloody stools
- Pain or burning in the throat
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Swelling of the throat
- Vomiting
- Vomiting matter that resembles coffee grounds
Louisiana Pradaxa Attorneys Can Help
It is important to note that any or all of these side effects could denote a fatal internal bleeding event, and should be reported immediately to your healthcare professional. Patients taking Pradaxa in studies were also noted to be more likely to experience cardiac events—such as heart attacks—than those on Warfarin or a placebo. If you live in the state of Louisiana and have experienced any complications from taking this drug, contact Attorney Group for Louisiana immediately. The Louisiana Pradaxa Attorneys affiliated with Attorney Group for Louisiana want to help you pursue compensation for any injuries you may have suffered due to Pradaxa. So contact Attorney Group for Louisiana today to get your questions answered and find out your legal options.
For more information, see our Pradaxa Lawsuit Help Center
