Xarelto Mass Tort Established in Philadelphia

Los Angeles, CAA new mass tort has been created in Philadelphia to consolidate Xarelto liability lawsuits pending against drug makers Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Bayer Corp. Some 73 lawsuits have been filed as of January 14, alleging the blood thinner has caused severe internal bleeding.

Xarelto was designed as a replacement for a decades old blood thinner, warfarin, and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011.

The mass tort has combined lawsuits that contain related legal and factual issues concerning the safety of the drug. This mass tort is the first new one created in Philadelphia since the February 2014 establishment of a program for pelvic mesh suits. Lawyers representing the Xarelto plaintiffs expect to see many more lawsuits filed over the coming months.

Xarelto (known generically as Rivaroxaban) is a new-generation anticoagulant, in a class of drugs known as direct thrombin inhibitors. It is a blood thinner used to reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes. Xarelto has also been marketed as being easier to use than warfarin (known by the brand name Coumadin), an older anticoagulant, because it does not require medical monitoring.

Xarelto has reportedly been linked to an increased risk of uncontrollable bleeding (hemorrhaging). A risk of hemorrhaging exists in many blood thinners; however, warfarin has an antidote in that can reduce the risk of uncontrollable hemorrhaging. Some newer blood thinners do not have an antidote. This means that injuries, including minor cuts or internal bleeding, can result in uncontrolled bleeding, which can be fatal.