The makers of the anticoagulant atrial fibrillation (AF) medication Dabigatran have decided to update the warning label on Pradaxa bottles to include the recommendation that patients at an increased risks of suffering from a stroke should not take the pills before talking to their doctor first.

The manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim, has chosen to include the update after numerous complaints have been made about the safety of Dabigatran in AF patients. Various studies have proven that Dabigatran is linked to excessive bleeding. The announcement about the change was presented in a press release issued on April 30. The company is also planning to add a “black box” warning that will alert patients to the possibility that stopping Pradaxa could increase their chances of suffering from a stroke. The other changes to be made to the labels will include updating data collected from clinical trial that compared the drug to the more popular Warfarin.

Dabigatran is a newer anticoagulant medication that was brought to the market in 2010 as a safer alternative to Warfarin for treating AF patients as well as those suffering from other heart complications. When it first came on the market, the company aggressively promoted the drug’s superiority over Warfarin. The bleeding risks caused hundreds of patients to file lawsuits against the manufacturer accusing the company of failing to properly warn the public and healthcare professionals of the dangers linked to the pills. But for those patients, this warning update came a little too late.

Other drugs that were previously used to treat AF include the anticoagulant Multaq. Multaq is made by Sanofi-Aventis and 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.