May 28, 2014 — Boehringer Ingelheim will pay $650 million to settle thousands of lawsuits involving Pradaxa (dabigatran), a stroke-prevention drug.
Since Pradaxa was approved in 2010, it has been linked to thousands of cases of severe and fatal bleeding, heart attacks, stroke, and other side effects. Over 2,200 people who were injured have filed lawsuits in a federal court in Illinois (MDL No. 2385).
The settlement will avoid “bellwether” trials that were scheduled to begin later this year. Andreas Neumann, Head of the Legal Department and General Counsel issued the following statement:
“We continue to stand resolutely behind Pradaxa® and believed from the outset that the plaintiffs’ claims lacked any merit. Notwithstanding our strong belief that we would prevail in these lawsuits, this settlement allows our company to avoid the distraction and uncertainty of protracted litigation over years and years.”
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded a study of 134,000 Medicare patients aged 65 years and older, finding that Pradaxa was associated with lower rates of stroke and death compared to warfarin, but higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. They declined to update warning labels and said Pradaxa has “a favorable benefit to risk profile.”
Even so, many experts remain concerned that Pradaxa lacks an effective reversal agent. In a bleeding emergency, the blood-thinning effects of warfarin can be reversed with a dose of Vitamin K. Pradaxa has no such reversal agent — only several hours of dialysis can remove it from a patient’s bloodstream.
Do I have a Pradaxa Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Pradaxa injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by severe bleeding, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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