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Pradaxa Lawsuits in Alabama
Mobile, Alabama Defective Product Attorneys
Drug companies and doctors are always eager to promote new drugs, and Pradaxa is no exception. As the first new blood thinner approved since 1954, there is a great deal of excitement surrounding this new treatment. Unfortunately, this excitement is not always good, since new drugs often carry a high level of unknown risks. We do not yet know all the risks of Pradaxa, but we do know that it puts people at an elevated risk of serious or fatal bleeding, and may also come with a high risk of heart attacks.
If you have been hurt or lost a loved one as a result of the drug Pradaxa, you may be able to receive compensation for your injury or loss. This page can help you understand the background of the drug, but the only way to know if you can receive compensation is by talking to an experienced defective drug lawyer. Please call 877-336-0776 or email Long & Waite, PC in Mobile, Alabama for a free case evaluation.
Understanding the Drug Pradaxa
Pradaxa is a potentially dangerous drug. It has been approved to reduce the risk of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat. It does this by thinning the blood to reduce the risk of blood clots. It has been recommended by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society as a replacement for the current standard treatment, warfarin, based largely on these advantages:
- Pradaxa takes effect quickly
- Pradaxa has no known dietary or drug interactions
- Pradaxa requires no regular monitoring
Warfarin has long been used, and has a number of other problems as well.
Pradaxa: What are the Risks?
One problem with Pradaxa is that we do not know the full extent of risks associated with the drug. The first in a new class of medications, we are unsure what to expect. One expected risk of Pradaxa is serious bleeding events caused by thinned blood. In just over a year after the drug was approved, more than 250 people have died as a result of bleeding events and hundreds more have suffered debilitating injury.
These risks may be increased by a supposed advantage of Pradaxa: no monitoring is necessary because no monitoring shows how well the drug is working. People may have too much or too little of the medication in their blood. The risk is especially high for people with decreased kidney function, which is common in elderly patients. Pradaxa is eliminated via the kidneys, and people with decreased function may suffer a buildup of the medication, increasing the risk of deadly bleeding.
Once a person begins bleeding as a result of Pradaxa, there is no antidote, unlike the traditional treatment, warfarin, whose effects can be eliminated by the administration of vitamin K. Finally, a potential for increased risk of heart attack was noted during clinical trials, and has recently been borne out by a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, published March 12, 2012. People taking Pradaxa may be 33% more likely to have a heart attack than people taking other blood thinning medications.
European officials have issued a warning about Pradaxa. The FDA, while noting that it has received numerous reports of serious bleeding events (it won't say how many), has not yet issued new guidelines for the drug's use. The FDA did issue a statement that it believes the drug's benefits outweigh its risks.
Why Choose Long & Waite - Mobile, AL Defective Drug Attorneys
When you have been injured by a pharmaceutical drug, you need the assistance of a law firm experienced in handling this type of complex case. At Long & Waite, PC, our Alabama attorneys have decades of experience helping accident victims receive the compensation they deserve, including multi-million dollar settlements for victims of defective products.
Our lawyeres consider it our privilege to help victims of dangerous drugs, and are eager to fight back against corporations that seek to profit from the injuries of others. We offer free consultations and we can come to you, at home or in the hospital.
To learn more about how we can help you, please contact Long & Waite in Mobile, Alabama for a free consultation today.
