Widower, family face off against J&J and Bayer in next Xarelto bleeding-risk case

Fierce Pharma ------- It wasn’t long ago that Johnson & Johnson and Bayer came up victorious in the first bellwether trial over Xarelto’s bleeding risks. Now, they’re in court again defending the big-selling blood thinner against claims it caused a patient’s death. Plaintiffs in the new case are the widower and children of Sharyn M. Orr, a grandmother who died in May 2015 at the age of 67 after suffering a brain hemorrhage. In opening statements, the family’s attorneys said J&J’s Janssen unit and Bayer put profits over patient health. Orr’s death was “completely avoidable,” according to the attorneys, who said the drugmakers concealed information vital for Xarelto's label. Attorneys for the drugmakers, however, told jurors in New Orleans that bad things can happen to good people and that Xarelto did not cause Orr’s death. According to the defense, a different label would not have saved Orr’s life, and her cardiologist would still prescribe her Xarelto today. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.