Pradaxa is the name under which the anticoagulant Dabigatran is marketed in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe. The controversial medication has been the subject of Mississippi Pradaxa lawsuits as well as litigation in other states because there is no way to reverse its effects in the event of an overdose. Since the Food and Drug Administration approved Pradaxa in 2010, 542 deaths in the U.S have been linked to its use. Use of the medication is also linked to an increased rate of cardiac events such as myocardial infarctions (heart attacks.)
What Are Anticoagulants?
Anticoagulants are medications that prevent blood from clotting. They are frequently referred to as blood thinners. They prevent blood clots from forming in critical arteries that carry blood to the heart and brain, and they’re most often prescribed for individuals who are at risk for suffering heart attacks and strokes. One of the most frequent indications for anticoagulant therapy is atrial fibrillation. In 2011, over 725,000 Americans with atrial fibrillation were taking Pradaxa regularly.
For many years, the most frequently prescribed anticoagulant was a medication called Warfarin, marketed under the brand name Coumadin. Warfarin blood levels need to be closely monitored, which means that patients taking this anticoagulant had to see their physicians frequently for blood tests. One of the advantages Pradaxa seemed to offer is that Pradaxa levels do not have to be closely monitored.
Unlike the event of a warfarin overdose where the adverse effects of the medication can be reversed by giving a patient Vitamin K, if a patient receives an overdose of Pradaxa, there is no way to reverse the deleterious effects of the medication. These are just a couple of the reasons why Mississippi Pradaxa Lawsuits may be brought against the manufacturers of the medication. Pradaxa is also associated with a higher occurrence of bleeding events in patients with kidney and gastrointestinal disorders.
Mississippi Pradaxa Lawsuits
Mississippi Pradaxa lawsuits have been brought against Boehringer Ingelheim, the German pharmaceutical company that manufactures Pradaxa, on the grounds that the Pradaxa users have not been adequately warned about the risks of using this drug. The medication has also been aggressively marketed as a safer alternative to the use of other anticoagulants, which many physicians and other medical professionals are now beginning to question.
Pradaxa lawsuits are part of a multi-district litigation, and the first trial is scheduled to commence in August 2014. However, if you or a loved one has been injured through the use of Pradaxa, you may still have the option of filing Mississippi Pradaxa lawsuits providing this litigation is filed before the Mississippi statute of limitations runs out. The best way of knowing whether you are one of the Pradaxa users who is eligible to file Mississippi Pradaxa lawsuits is to speak with a qualified attorney as soon as possible who is experienced in the realm of bad drug litigation. Please contact Attorney Group for Mississippi to review your legal options and find out whether you are eligible to participate in Mississippi Pradaxa lawsuits.
