Pradaxa injury

December 5, 2017

Boston Product Liability Attorneys Talk Dangers of Taking Pradaxa

Patients with a serious medical condition known as atrial fibrillation, also known as “Afib,” a type of irregular heartbeat, are generally required to take a prescription blood thinner or oral anticoagulant medication. Blood thinners have been on the market for decades, and the most popular one is Warfarin, invented in late 1940s and approved for use in the U.S. in 1954. Pradaxa is a newer type of oral anticoagulant that can lead to serious and irreversible damage, and the company failed to warn of these dangers.

Warfarin was originally sold under the brand name Coumadin but has been a relatively lost cost generic for many years. While it is generally safe and effective, it can lead to internal bleeding if the dosage is not correct. These risks can be curtailed by having routine blood work to determine how the drug is working and avoiding certain foods. If there is an adverse event, doctors are able to quickly reverse the side effects with the use of an antidote. Continue reading

January 3, 2017

Pradaxa Used with Drug Combination May Raise Bleeding Risk

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Sometimes a drug is used by itself, and sometimes a drug is used as one drug in a multiple drug combination used together to treat a single condition or a series of related conditions. This is commonly referred to as a drug combo or drug cocktail in some cases, such as with HIV drugs.

Pradaxa is a member of a class of drugs known as New Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs) and is used, among other things, to treat a serious medical condition known as atrial fibrillation (Afib). As we have heard former Saturday Night Live actor tell us on the commercials for Xarelto, Afib is a condition identified as an irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve defect. Continue reading

September 17, 2016

Pradaxa Hopes to Grab Market Share as Xarelto Antidote Fails FDA Approval

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Pharmaceutical industry experts have been buzzing recently about the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s rejection of approval for Xarelto. Specifically, the decision is being lauded by Boehringer Ingelheim, the makers of Pradaxa, according to a recent news feature from FiercePharma.

First, let’s look at what these two drugs do. Xarelto and Pradaxa and competitors (along with Eliquis and Savaysa) are in the big money market of New Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs). This new class of drugs is designed to treat patients who suffer from various potentially deadly clotting disorders that are not caused by a heart valve defect. Patients who suffer from one of these medical conditions such as atrial fibrillation (Afib) must take a blood thinner or anti-clotting agent to prevent dangerous clots from forming, which may result in a painful death. Continue reading

May 25, 2016

A Look at Atrial Fibrillation Treatment Options, Including Pradaxa

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) is a serious medical condition that affects about one in ten Americans over the age of 65. If someone suffers from atrial fibrillation, which is defined as an irregular heartbeat not associated with a heart valve defect, they will experience what doctors call “bouts” of the condition.

When a person has a bout of atrial fibrillation, the normal rhythm of the heart that pumps blood throughout the body will stop, and there will be a flutter in the heart that is not effective at pumping blood. At this point, the patient will typically have symptoms such as a very fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, and dizziness. While these symptoms can be uncomfortable and dangerous, the real reason people fear Afib is because it can quickly lead to a stroke when the brain is deprived of blood. Continue reading