Pfizer’s first-quart report included a charge of $472 million primarily to cover settlements and potential future liabilities in the long-running product liability litigation surrounding Pfizer’s hormone-replacement therapies including Prempro. A spokesman said the company plans to continue its strategy of defending itself against lawsuits and striking settlements when appropriate. Presently, approximately more than 8,000 cases have been filed in this litigation. The vast majority of the claims involve women who developed breast cancer after using combination estrogen and progesterone. Whether the long-running litigation is coming to an end is unclear.
Pradaxa is a prescription medication that is used to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke in patients with certain irregular heartbeats.. Nearly one million patients in the United States have used the drug. While Pradaxa is very effective at preventing clots, it has been associated with more than 500 bleeding deaths. In fact, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices says it has more reports of adverse events linked to Pradaxa than to any other of the 800 drugs the agency monitors.
Adverse reactions associated with Pradaxa include:
- Unstoppable bleeding in injury patients
- Stomach (gastrointestinal) bleeding
- Brain bleeding (hemorrhaging)
- Bleeding in the kidneys
- Pradaxa bleeding death
All medications that prevent clotting pose a risk of bleeding. In clinical trials, Pradaxa was compared to Warfarin (Coumadin), a blood thinner that has been used for nearly 60 years. Pradaxa, which prevents clotting without thinning the blood, was found to be 35 percent more effective than Warfarin with the same risk of serious bleeding. However, vitamin K can be used to stop bleeding in patients taking Warfarin. There is no antidote to stop Pradaxa bleeding.
Patients at high risk include:
- Patients age 75 or older
- Patients with kidney problems
- Patients who take dronedarone (Multaq®) or ketoconazole tablets (Nizoral®) for kidney disease
- Patients who have had a stomach ulcer
- Patients with recent stomach or intestinal bleeding
- Patients taking other medications that increase the risk of bleeding, including: aspirin, aspirin products, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and other blood thinners
If you or a loved one has suffered life-threatening bleeding while taking Pradaxa, it is important that you contact a Salt Lake City drug injury lawyer as soon as possible. You may be eligible for compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost income and more. To learn if you qualify to file a Utah Pradaxa lawsuit, contact the James Esparza Law Firm at 800-745-4050.