Information from a long-term study of the AF anticoagulant medication Pradaxa has found that about 3% of all users of the drug may expect to experience at least one major bleeding event on a yearly basis. That risk increased with the higher 150 mg dose.
As the makers of Pradaxa continue to tout the results of this study, which was published in the American Heart Association’s Circulation in an effort to prove that the drug is safe; there has been a lot of concern that Pradaxa bleeding is more dangerous than the bleeding events that occur with older anticoagulants like Warfarin because there is nothing that can be done to stop the bleeding events. This study happened as manufacturers seeks to expand on the approval parameters of Pradaxa’s uses in Europe. So far, the approval push has not happened in the US.
The study being mentioned is the previously reported RE-LY study, which showed that “3.74% of patients who take Pradaxa 150 mg for a year are likely to experience major hemorrhaging. Those taking 110 mg Pradaxa faired marginally better, at 2.99% risk of a major bleeding event. About 3.02% of those taking the 110 mg dose died per year, compared to 3.1% taking the higher dose.”
Boehringer Ingelheim continues to promote Pradaxa as a safer alternative to the more popular Warfarin, which is also known to cause excessive bleeding. Almost all anticoagulants cause bleeding risks, however one anticoagulant known to cause even more severe side effects is 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. We are experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.