Jefferson Parish woman sues drugmakers over Xarelto

A Louisiana woman has sued the makers of the stroke prevention drug Xarelto after allegedly suffering unexpected and serious complications.

Deborah Lyons and USIA Lyons III filed a lawsuit Feb. 18 in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana against Janssen Research and Development, (formerly known as Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development), Janssen Ortho, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. formerly known as Ortho-McNeill Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Pharma, Bayer Healthcare and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, alleging lack of transparent reporting.

According to the complaint, on March 2, 2014, Lyons' doctor prescribed Xarelto, after which she suffered "three severe bleeding events for which she had to undergo three hospitalizations and blood transfusions." The defendant companies "negligently and/or fraudulently represented to the medical and healthcare community, the Food and Drug Administration, the plaintiffs, the plaintiff’s physicians and the public in general, that Xarelto had been tested and was found to be safe and/or effective for its indicated use," the suit states.

The suit alleges the drug makers were fraudulent and deceitful in concealing Xarelto's potential side effects.

Lyons seeks unspecified damages, in addition to court costs and attorney fees.  He is represented by attorney Mekel Alvarez of Morris Bart in New Orleans.

U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana: 2:15-cv-00528-EEF-MBN.