Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) is a blood thinner that was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration(FDA) in July 2011, to prevent strokes in patients who received hip and knee replacements. In November 2011, the approval was expanded to any patients with atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat). Xarelto has been widely prescribed, with millions of people taking the medication since it entered the market.

Since its approval, there have been numerous reports of increased risk of injury when taking Xarelto, including, but not limited to:

• Brain hemorrhage

• Hemorrhagic stroke

• Gastrointestinal bleeding

These events can be life threatening since, unlike warfarin, there is no antidote for Xarelto to stop the bleeding.

Many of the pending lawsuits are centralized in federal court before the Honorable Eldon E. Fallon in the Eastern District of Louisiana as part of MDL 2592. In addition to these cases, the filing of Xarelto cases in state courts, such as Pennsylvania, continues to rise.