DrugNews Legal Update: Pradaxa Trials Set to Start This Year

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Pradaxa is an anticoagulant, or blood thinner, approved by the FDA in 2010. It is designed to prevent blood clots and strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 08, 2014

The prescription drug safety center DrugNews.net is announcing new information on the site for patients taking the blood thinner Pradaxa. Amid lawsuits alleging the drug caused internal bleeding injury or death, a judge has scheduled the first Bellwether trial to start this year*.

DrugNews was created to give those taking popular prescription drugs the latest recalls, safety alerts, research and litigation news. Patients can avoid potential dangers and bring questions to their doctors, or see if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice.

Pradaxa is an anticoagulant, or blood thinner, approved by the FDA in 2010. It is designed to prevent blood clots and strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Experts disagree, however, about whether it increases risks of internal bleeding.

DrugNews has added warnings from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices that Pradaxa bleeding may be 5 times as likely to cause death**. A recent study also suggested patients taking blood thinners like dabigatran may be 55% more likely to suffer internal bleeding***.

Recently, the FDA announced a new study that will examine data from Pradaxa and warfarin patients to compare the occurrence rates of internal bleeding and blood clots****.

Due to the number of patients who have filed a lawsuit against Pradaxa alleging internal bleeding, cases were consolidated to a federal Pradaxa multidistrict litigation court. The case is formally known as MDL No. 2385, IN RE: Pradaxa Product Liability Litigation, Southern District of Illinois. The latest court records show 2,057 cases filed as of January 15th*****.

Now, DrugNews has learned that Judge Herndon, who oversees the federal litigation, has selected the first Bellwether case, or test trial, to start on August 11, 2014*.

Anyone affected by internal bleeding after taking Pradaxa is encouraged to visit DrugNews.net or speak with a lawyer about their legal options. Due to the specialized nature of federal drug injury cases, DrugNews only recommends lawyers who have already handled Pradaxa lawsuits.

Visit http://www.DrugNews.net today for more information on the research, side effects and litigation news related to Pradaxa and other drugs, or to speak with a lawyer.

*U.S. District Judge David Herndon, 1/23/14; aboutlawsuits.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-01-23-Pradaxa-CMO-52.pdf; Suzanne Mackiewicz, on behalf of the Estate of Malachy Higgins, deceased, and Suzanne Mackiewicz, Individually v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., et al, Case No.: 3:13-cv-50167- DRH-SCW (Southern Dist. Illinois)
**Institute for Safe Medication Practices, 1/9/13; ismp.org/quarterwatch/pdfs/2012Q2.pdf
***Gastroenterology, July 2013; gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(13)00290-4/fulltext
****Forbes, 1/3/14; forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/01/03/fda-plans-new-safety-assessment-of-dabigatran-pradaxa/
*****Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, 1/15/14; jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending_MDL_Dockets_By_District-January-15-2014.pdf

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