There were more than 500 reports life threatening bleeding from Pradaxa in early 2011. Pradaxa is a blood thinner used in patients who have “Non-Valvular atrial fibrillation”- an irregularity of the heart that increases that chance of stroke.
The Institute of Safe Medication Practices reviews reports filed through the FDA MedWatch program. In its quarterly report they identified Pradaxa as having more problems than all the others being monitored. This is mostly because there is no current treatment in the event the patient has bleeding related to Pradaxa.
Pradaxa Overview
Pradaxa was released in October 2010 and is a product of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. Critics are now raising questions about the clinical trials that were done prior to the products approval, due to the fact that within the first 3 months of its release there were 98.7% more reports of adverse effects than all the other drugs.
Pradaxa was to be used in place of the usual medication Warfarin. It is thought that users of Pradaxa would require less supervision than users of warfarin. However, if there is a problem with bleeding with warfarin the problem can be treated with Vitamin K. Pradaxa related bleeding increases the risk profile because there is no treatment if that happens.
More Pradaxa Dangers
There is a prevalence of bleeding associated with Pradaxa, especially when used in patients with kidney problems and elderly patients. Additionally, there have been reports of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis due to blood clots, and Pradaxa failed to address it.
In December 2011 about 14 months after Pradaxa came on the market, the FDA began a safety review of the drug. The official investigation started about a month after the Boehringer Ingelheim- the maker of the drug- started its own investigation into the drug related deaths.
Potential Lawsuits with Pradaxa
Pradaxa lawsuits are expected to increase in numbers in the coming months, because the manufacturers of the drug did not appropriately warn consumers about the risks of Pradaxa use. If you or someone you know has used Pradaxa and had adverse results, it is highly advisable to speak to an attorney.





