Are Xarelto Side Effects Truly Dangerous?
Have you been prescribed Xarelto and are now confused with all the side effects information? We break down why Bayer’s blood thinner rivaroxaban could be harmful and if you are at risk of injury.
Xarelto: Get To Know The Brand
Xarelto is the commercial brand owned and registered by Bayer to market the drug Rivaroxaban (BAY 59-7939). It is a Novel Oral Anticoagulant (NOAC) marketed in the United States by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and was the first orally active direct Factor Xa inhibitor available. Since the first launch in 2008, it has been approved by the international regulatory authorities as a blood thinner.
It is used for several medical treatments, including prophylaxis, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and the reduction of risk of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, [1]. Xarelto can also be used in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery.
You Deserve Justice
[contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]Xarelto Mechanism of Action
Xarelto inhibits Factor Xa that interrupts both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of the blood coagulation cascade. Because of its peculiar and unique mechanism of action, if an uncontrollable bleeding accident occurs no antidote can reverse its effects [2].
Many Xarelto lawsuits were filed in the past to account for several patients suffering from internal bleeding cases that eventually caused their untimely death. Our Lawyers are currently pursuing litigations on behalf patients who suffered from internal bleeding accidents or the families of the deceased. We argue that Both Bayer and Janssen Pharmaceuticals chose to conceal important safety information, did not sufficiently warn the patients about the drug’s potential risks, and did not test the drug long enough before being released on the market.
What are the dangers of Xarelto?
Xarelto is the commercial brand owned and registered by Bayer to market the drug Rivaroxaban (BAY 59-7939). It is a Novel Oral Anticoagulant (NOAC) marketed in the United States by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and was the first orally active direct Factor Xa inhibitor available. Since the first launch in 2008, it has been approved by the international regulatory authorities as a blood thinner. Because of the potential risk of internal hemorrhages and the lack of an approved antidote to correct them, mistakes with the administration of this drug may cause devastating and sometimes fatal effects on patients. For this reason, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) included Xarelto among its list of high-alert medications as a drug with a “heightened risk of causing significant patient harm” [3].
To further underline its dangerousness, the FDA labeled this medication with several “Black Box” warnings. Some of the most severe contraindications of this drug, such as gastrointestinal and intracranial bleeding may, in fact, have lethal consequences. Also, Xarelto’s label warns about the risk of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: a condition which may lead to permanent paralysis in patients receiving anesthesia or undergoing spinal puncture [4]. The risk of severe and uncontrolled internal bleeding has always been one of the major issues with all blood thinners. The incidence of major bleeding incidents observed in patients receiving rivaroxaban was just slightly higher than in those taking Coumadin (Warfarin) (4.3% for Xarelto vs. 3.1% for Warfarin) [5]. However, the adverse effects of Warfarin can be still reversed with the quick administration of vitamin K or other substances [6]. So, while their complications are still dangerous and can be deadly [7], at least there’s still a treatment option available for doctors to save a patient’s life. This option is instead absent with Xarelto and the other NOACs.
Also, it should be noted that patients under therapy with Warfarin require to monitor their dietary regime carefully, as well as to avoid any dangerous drug interactions. Thanks to the need of performing frequent blood testing to evaluate the medication’s effectiveness and safety, doctors overseeing such patients may adjust Warfarin’s dosage appropriately [8]. However, as no such monitoring is required with Xarelto, a greater probability of unexpected bleedings may endanger a patient’s life, no matter how convenient the “once daily” dosage might look.
Xarelto and internal hemorrhages
Because of the potential risk of internal hemorrhages and the lack of an approved antidote to correct them, mistakes with the administration of this drug may cause devastating and sometimes fatal effects on patients.
For this reason, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) included Xarelto among its list of high-alert medications as a drug with a “heightened risk of causing significant patient harm” [3]. To further underline its dangerousness, the FDA labeled this medication with several “Black Box” warnings.
Some of the most severe contraindications of this drug, such as gastrointestinal and intracranial bleeding may, in fact, have lethal consequences. Also, Xarelto’s label warns about the risk of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: a condition which may lead to permanent paralysis in patients receiving anesthesia or undergoing spinal puncture [4].
The risk of severe and uncontrolled internal bleeding has always been one of the major issues with all blood thinners. The incidence of major bleeding incidents observed in patients receiving rivaroxaban was just slightly higher than in those taking Coumadin (Warfarin) (4.3% for Xarelto vs. 3.1% for Warfarin) [5]. However, the adverse effects of Warfarin can be still reversed with the quick administration of vitamin K or other substances [6]. So, while their complications are still dangerous and can be deadly [7], at least there’s still a treatment option available for doctors to save a patient’s life. This option is instead absent with Xarelto and the other NOACs. Also, it should be noted that patients under therapy with Warfarin require to monitor their dietary regime carefully, as well as to avoid any dangerous drug interactions. Thanks to the need of performing frequent blood testing to evaluate the medication’s effectiveness and safety, doctors overseeing such patients may adjust Warfarin’s dosage appropriately [8]. However, as no such monitoring is required with Xarelto, a greater probability of unexpected bleedings may endanger a patient’s life, no matter how convenient the “once daily” dosage might look.
Clinical Research and Studies
During the so-called ROCKET AF double-blind trial that involved 14,264 patients with atrial fibrillation, Xarelto was never found to be to be superior to Warfarin. The results observed just defined it as “non-inferior” or just as effective for preventing stroke or systemic embolism as its counterpart [5].
One of the FDA reviewers who examined the data from the trial also pointed out that Warfarin was administered in a sub-optimal way, and the commission recommended that an additional study on rivaroxaban was required to adequately assess its potential stroke and bleeding risks [9].
Clinically relevant and major bleeding event rates during anticoagulant therapy increase significantly up to double if the patients take most common over-the-counter painkillers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Aspirin [10]. Also, sudden discontinuation of treatment with all blood thinners can be fatal because it is associated with an increased risk of blood clots in the brain.
Even after Xarelto treatment endangers a patient’s life due to the risk of a fatal bleeding, stopping the therapy will increase the risk of brain clots with consequences that include full body paralysis and even death [11].
On the other hand, there’s an increasing amount of clinical evidence that points out that this medication can also be linked to an increased risk for blood clot-related injuries such as pulmonary edema or venous thromboembolism, instead of preventing them. During the first quarter of 2012, the ISMP found that out of 356 cases of patients reporting serious, disabling, or fatal injuries in which rivaroxaban was deemed the principal responsible, 158 of these side effects (44%) were thromboembolic events mostly occurring in younger patients. These constituted the predominant serious adverse event type reported [12].
Xarelto and Pradaxa
In the past, the FDA already reported how bleeding events constitute the most serious, highest-risk side effect in prescription drug therapy. For this reason, treatment with blood thinners is usually accompanied by risks so substantial, they’re considered even more dangerous than cancer chemotherapy treatment with antiblastic drugs such as carboplatin [13]. Pradaxa (Dabigatran), for example, accounted for 3,781 adverse events in 2011, including 542 patient deaths, surpassing all other regularly monitored drugs in reports of hemorrhage (2,367 cases), acute renal failure (291), and stroke (644) [14].
Similarly to Xarelto side effects, Pradaxa’s ones also represent a serious threat to a patient’s life. Dabigatran is a blood thinner with no known antidote, so there’s no way to reverse its potentially fatal effects, nor to mitigate them by reducing its dosage [15]. Pradaxa’s manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim faced thousands of lawsuits filed by many patients, who accounted them responsible for the many deaths and severe accidents caused by this medication.
Eventually, the pharmaceutical company opted to pay up to $650 million to settle the overwhelming amount of cases. Bayer instead keeps claiming yet today that Xarelto is safe [16]. However, a more recent study pointed out that NOACs were also associated with a significantly higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding when compared to Warfarin. The study results showed a 50% increase in the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding with Dabigatran, and a more than two-fold higher danger of bleeding accidents with Rivaroxaban compared with Warfarin [17].
