Johnson & Johnson is looking to add to the health problems for which its anticoagulant drug Xarelto can be used. Johnson & Johnson and Bayer manufacture and sell the medication. The two companies are attempting to obtain approval for additional uses for Xarelto from the United States Food and Drug Administration. Johnson & Johnson and Bayer are doing this by way of announcing three new clinical trials that they hope will prove that Xarelto could be used for other health issues. This effort comes despite multiple reports of Xarelto lawsuits being filed because of alleged Xarelto side effects that can lead to serious injuries and in some cases fatalities.
The clinical trials are basically geared towards showing that Xarelto can be administered for what is known as Acute Coronary Syndrome, or ACS. ACS is actually an umbrella medical term, meaning that it can involve several different problems with the heart. According to the American Heart Association, ACS is a term that can be applied to any situation where the blood supplied to the heart is suddenly blocked. What that could mean is that Xarelto could be used in a number of different specific situations where patients are experiencing heart problems. That could lead to a massive uptick in revenue generated by the drug.
A Brief Overview of Xarelto
Xarelto is a relatively new anticoagulant, which is a type of medication that is more commonly known as a blood thinner. It is most commonly used by patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat. Xarelto works by helping to prevent clotting of blood. This clot prevention helps patients avoid potential problems such as heart attacks and strokes. Xarelto has penetrated the market deeply after it was dominated by medications containing warfarin for years. That’s because Xarelto is seen as an easier drug to manage than its predecessors.
Xarelto was originally approved for use in patients who are dealing with atrial fibrillation by the FDA in 2011. Xarelto and other medications somewhat similar to it are known as direct thrombin inhibitors, which do not require constant monitoring of patients as was the case with drugs with warfarin as the active ingredient. According to business analysts, it’s possible that Xarelto could surpass $1 billion in sales annually as soon as this year.
Xarelto Side Effects and Your Legal Rights
The biggest problem with Xarelto to this point is that there is no antidote available. An antidote is needed when internal bleeding arises in patients. When this happens with Xarelto users, patients face extreme danger. These internal bleeding incidents have increased with the popularity of the drug. This problem has also led to the FDA rejecting an effort to expand the use of Xarelto three times in the recent past.
If you or someone you love has used Xarelto and you’ve suffered as a result, you need to seek the help of the Xarelto side effects lawyers at Parilman & Associates as soon as possible. You can either email the firm or call 800-800-DRUG.
