In June 2013, the FDA wrote to the manufacturers of Xarelto and told them to stop their deceptive marketing practices. Bayer AG and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary company of the Johnson and Johnson Corporation, ignored the letter and continued to aggressively advertise Xarelto which could be prescribed to treat blood clots, atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli.
The Xarelto ads are still running today featuring retired golfer Arnold Palmer, basketball star Chris Bosch and others. One of the ads opens with the stars playing a round of golf and Bosch turning to the camera saying, “When I was sidelined with blood clots in my lungs, it was serious,” the ten-time All-Star says. “Fortunately, my doctor had a game plan.”
What Bosch and the drug companies didn’t say was that Xarelto has been shown to have serious, life-threatening side effects, especially for patients who have undergone knee and hip replacement procedures or were dealing with a medical condition impacting the heart called atrial fibrillation.
Nearly 3,500 lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Xarelto for failure to disclose these serious side effects especially after the FDA warned the drug makers to change their deceitful marketing efforts.
In Philadelphia, PA there is a mass tort program of 550 cases. In addition, there is a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) numbered 2592 underway in Louisiana encompassing well over 2,800 cases.
As a blood thinning drug, Xarelto has successfully competed with Warfarin ever since Xarelto’s approval four years ago. According to the Wall St. Journal, Xarelto hauled in $1 billion in profits just last year.
In spite of the drug’s popularity, it’s side effects can be life-threatening. The companies’ marketing efforts are successful but shameful considering how many lives have been altered or ended after using the drug. If you’ve been hurt using the drug Xarelto, contact Saunders & Walker today.