In the past few months, troubling reports have surfaced regarding Xarelto, an anticoagulant, and the risk of internal bleeding. Xarelto is a commonly used blood thinner that is used to prevent blood cluts, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. Xarelto came on the market in 2011 from Janssen Pharmaceuticals. It was touted as an alternative to Coumadin, which has been the most popular blood thinner in recent years.
This litigation comes on the heels of the announcement of Pradaxa settlements. Much like Xarelto, Pradaxa was a blood thinner that caused internal bleeding. In May, Boehringer Ingelheim agreed to pay $650 million in settlements to thousands of claimants.
On October 15, 2014, a motion to consolidate or form an “MDL” for the Xarelto litigation was filed before U.S. District Judge David R. Herndon in the Southern District of Illinois.
Despite the litigation, Xarelto sales continue to increase. It is expected that by 2018, Xarleto will generate about $3.68 billion in annual sales.
