udge Arnold L. New, of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, identified counsel for state court Xarelto products liability cases in Philadelphia. Three law firms were recognized to serve as co-liaison for plaintiffs, and two to serve on behalf of the defendants. The order also stayed all responsive pleading obligations.
The Philadelphia Xarelto docket was established January 21, with the transfer of roughly 75 cases to the court’s Complex Litigation Center. The cases allege that the prescription anticoagulant caused uncontrollable and sometimes fatal bleeding. They also claim the manufacturers failed to disclose or adequately warn that there is no way to reverse the anticoagulation effects. Although this responsibility is usually shared with the prescribing physician, the suits allege the manufacturer had a duty to warn due to massive direct-to-consumer advertising campaigns.
Defendants contended that a mass tort designation was not warranted because almost all of the actions pending in Philadelphia were filed by out-of-state plaintiffs and have no connection to Pennsylvania. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss based on forum non-conveniens grounds. The motion was stayed pending further order of the court.
Xarelto was approved by the FDA in July 2011 and is prescribed to prevent pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis and strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. In addition to bleeding issues, recent medical journal articles in the United States and internationally have found multiple reports of Xarelto users having abnormal liver function tests. If tests determine levels are above upper limits of normal (ULN), doctors must take immediate action to determine the cause before liver failure or jaundice occurs. This type of liver injury is sometimes referred to as Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI) or Drug Induced Serious Hepatotoxicity (DISH).
We have already filed suits for several Xarelto related injuries. If you or someone you know has been injured by Xarelto, contact us today online or by telephone at (212) 684-1880 to speak with an experienced New York dangerous drugs liability law firm.
