JPML To Hear Xarelto Arguments Today

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (“JPML”), sitting in Charleston, South Carolina, will hear arguments today for and against the consolidation of Xarelto lawsuits. Lawyers for those injured by Xarelto are arguing for a Xarelto MDL, while Bayer and Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturers of Xarelto, are fighting consolidation.

Patients who took Xarelto, a blood-thinning drug, accuse the drugmakers of downplaying the medicine’s bleeding risks and asked that the cases be sent to U.S District Judge David Herndon in East St. Louis, Illinois. Judge Herndon is the same judge who is presiding over the Pradaxa MDL, which settled earlier this year. That settlement is estimated to reach $650 million.

Bayer’s lawyers are arguing that should an MDL be formed over their objections, that the cases  be consolidated in New Jersey under U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson. Judge Wolfson is located in Trenton and is already presiding over two Xarelto case. Another argument for consolidation in New Jersey is that it is located near corporate headquarters.  

In court filings, it is claimed that 65 deaths have been linked to bleeding caused by the drug, which has no antidote. So far, there are 21 cases filed in 10 federal courts.

As I have posted many times on this blog, MDL’s are a great mechanism for consolidating cases and can save time and money on pretrial discovery, depositions and dispositive motions.

U.S. regulators originally approved Xarelto in 2011 to prevent blood clots in patients undergoing knee and hip surgeries. The drug’s use has been extended to patients with irregular heartbeats and potentially deadly leg and lung blood clots. It is similar to Coumadin, or warfarin, used to thin stroke victims’ blood for nearly 50 years.  Xarelto was marketed as more effective at preventing strokes than Coumadin and easier to use since Xarelto patients did not need frequent tests to monitor their blood-plasma levels.

In court filings, Xarelto patients argue the companies did not properly test the blood thinner before putting it on the market, hid the fact the medicine had no antidote, and overstated the drug’s effectiveness.

The case is Xarelto Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2592, U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. A decision by the JPML will be issued in the coming weeks.

Pittman, Dutton & Hellums, P.C., is currently investigating Xarelto cases. If you or a loved one were prescribed Xarelto and suffered an irreversible internal bleeding that lead to hospitalization and/or death, contact Booth Samuels at toll free 1-866-515-8880 or by email at booths@pittmanudutton.com.

Yaz and Yazmin Recall Urged

A number of women who have suffered an injury caused by side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control are expected to call for Bayer to issue a Yaz recall  at an upcoming shareholder’s meeting, as the popular birth control pills may be responsible for the death of more than 190 women in the United States. However, that number is likely only a fraction of the actual number of deaths from Yasmin and Yaz, as it is widely acknowledged that only about 1% to 10% of all adverse events associated with the use of medications are ever reported.

Bayer holds its annual shareholder meeting on April 29 in Cologne, Germany. About 4,000 shareholders are expected to participate in the meeting and vote on the future of the company. According to the group Coalition against Bayer Dangers (CBG), based in Germany, several women will speak out at the meeting about the dangers posed by health problems from Yaz and Yasmin, which will include countermotions by CBG to rein in what it considers to be irresponsible corporate activity by Bayer. The group points out that Bayer’s line of drosperinone-based oral contraceptives, including Yaz and Yasmin, have been found to carry an 80% increased risk of thrombosis events than older birth control pills by some studies. They are calling for a recall of Yaz, Yasmin and all other birth control products made by Bayer that contain drosperinone.

Thousands of women throughout the United States have filed a Yaz lawsuit or Yasmin lawsuit against Bayer, alleging that the drug maker failed to adequately research the risks associated with the medication or warn women that they may be exposed to an increased risk of serious and potentially fatal side effects when using the birth control pills. Lawsuits also allege that Bayer engaged in deceptive and misleading advertisements that were directed to consumers and the medical community.

Our firm is currently investigating claims for those women who have been injured by Yaz or Yasmin. If you would like a free case evaluation, please contact Booth Samuels at toll free 1-866-515-8880 or at booths@pittmandutton.com.