A growing number of people have suffered from severe, uncontrollable bleeding after taking the blood-thinner Eliquis, which was marketed as safe when it had no antidote.
Eliquis Lawsuits Centralized in New York
In October 2016, lawyers asked federal judges to centralize all Eliquis lawsuits nationwide into one court. In February 2017, Eliquis lawsuits were centralized under U.S.District Judge Denise L. Cote, in Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2754) — In re: Eliquis (Apixaban) Products Liability Litigation.
Overview
Eliquis is a blood-thinning medication made by Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. It is prescribed to patients with atrial fibrillation (also known as “fluttering” heart rhythm) to help prevent blood clots and strokes.
Eliquis Has No Reversal Agent
Eliquis works by inhibiting thrombin. Essentially, Eliquis prevents blood clots by changing blood chemistry. Compared to warfarin, the advantage is that patients do not need to undergo routine blood tests or adhere to a strict diet (avoiding foods that contain Vitamin K). When Eliquis was approved, it was promoted as superior to warfarin. The difference is that Eliquis has no reversal agent, while warfarin is reversed with a dose of Vitamin K.
Eliquis Patients Can Bleed Uncontrollably
Doctors must be able to quickly deactivate all blood-thinning drugs when patients are suddenly injured or need unexpected surgery (such as after a bad fall or a car accident). If a patient on Eliquis starts bleeding, doctors might struggle to deactivate it. The longer it takes to stop bleeding, the higher the risk of complications like brain damage and death. Unfortunately, bleeding is one of the most common side effects of Eliquis.
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