Dabigatran is back in the news over the drug’s increased risks of myocardial infarction (MI) after two new analyses were conducted. During both of the analyses, the MI risks ranged from 38 percent to 70 percent when Dabigatran was compared to other drugs and a placebo.
The research was conducted by Dr. Ilke Sipahi (University Hospitals and Case Medical Center, Cleveland), Dr. Seden Celik (Acibadem University Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey) and Dr. Ahmet Akyol (Acibadem University Medical School). It shows that when patients are treated with Dabigatran, which is used to treat atrial fibrillation (AF) and other heart conditions, they were at a 48 percent higher risk of MI when compared with controls. During the original Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulant Therapy (RE-LY) trial, that information was removed from the analysis. An according to Sipahi et al, those results were very important.
This new analysis was reported online in the June 26, 2013 edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The letter explained that researchers looked at all randomized controlled studies, including the RE-LY trial, and other studies conducted on the use of Dabigatran in patients, as well as information that the drug’s manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim presented to the FDA.
The new information also challenges a previous assessment that was published online on April 1, 2013 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology by Dr. Torben Bjerregaard Larsen (Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark) which gave the opposite interpretation about the MI risks.
“We think that the imperfect nature of observational studies mostly stemming from residual confounding despite propensity matching may explain the discrepancy between the current observational study and previous randomized trials,” write Sipahi, Celik and Akyol.
Dabigatran is only one medication used to treat AF, a heart condition that causes irregular heartbeats and flutters. One common drug used to treat AF flutters is the anticoagulant Multaq. But Multaq, made by Sanofi-Aventis, has been linked to serious side effects, including a worsening of the heart condition, liver failure and lung toxicity. It is for this reason that the FDA has recommended that doctors only prescribe Multaq if all other medications fail to work.
If you or a loved one has suffered from liver failure or a worsening heart condition after being treated with Multaq, contact the attorneys at Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.