Xarelto (Rivaroxaban)

Bennerotte & Associates is investigating potential lawsuits against the makers and marketers of the drug Xarelto (Rivarozaban). Xarelto is manufactured by Bayer and marketed in the United States by a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury resulting in hospitalization or death while taking the medication Xarelto, please contact Bennerotte & Associates for a free evaluation.

Bennerotte & Associates is reviewing claims involving people who took Xarelto and experienced any of the following problems:

• Death
• Pulmonary embolism
• Severe, uncontrolled bleeding requiring hospitalization
• Stroke

It is alleged that Xarelto can cause major internal bleeding, strokes, intracerebral hemorrhaging, GI bleed and death. Xarelto lawsuits that have already been filed involve victims who have been hospitalized after taking Xarelto for uncontrolled bleeding episodes and bleeding sometimes resulting in death.

Xarelto is an anticoagulant or blood thinner that prevents the formation of blood clots. It belongs to a class of anticoagulant drugs known as Factor Xa inhibitors. It is used in people with atrial fibrillation to lower the risk of stroke. It is also used to prevent or treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which can lead to blood clots in the lungs (Pulmonary Embolism). Sometimes, Xarelto is given to individuals recovering from hip or knee surgery.

Approved in 2011, Xarelto is one of the newest blood thinners on the market. It has been promoted as superior to warfarin (Coumadin), with its manufacturer claiming that Xarelto is easier to take and requires less frequent monitoring to maintain the correct dosage.

While all blood thinners can cause uncontrollable bleeding, internal bleeding caused by Xarelto cannot be reversed with Vitamin K treatment or with dialysis.

In September 2013, the German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that there had been nearly 1,000 adverse events involving the drug Xarelto during the first eight months of 2013 alone. Of the 2013 adverse events involving Xarelto, 72 resulted in death.

In May 2014, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) reported that doctors and patients were reporting adverse events linked to the use of Xarelto in increasing numbers. ISMP reported in QuarterWatch that there were approximately 680 Xarelto adverse events reported in the U.S. in 2013.

In January 2014, the FDA updated the Xarelto warning and reported: “A specific antidote for rivaroxaban is not available. Because of high plasma protein binding, [of the drug] rivaroxaban is not expected to be dialyzable [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. Protamine sulfate and vitamin K are not expected [to reverse the effects of rivaroxaban] ……The use of other procoagulant reversal agents like activated prothrombin complex concentrate (APCC) or recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) has not been evaluated.”

Never stop taking any medication without first consulting your doctor, and do not stop taking your Xarelto medication unless advised by your doctor.