A St. Clair County man claims his relative died from complications while using the drug Xarelto.
Beaumont Shelton, individually and as special representative for William Shelton, filed a lawsuit on Sept. 11 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Janssen Research & Development in New Brunswick, N.J., formerly known as Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Janssen Ortho, Jansen Pharmaceuticals Inc., formerly known as Ortho/McNeil/Jansen Pharmaceuticals Inc, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bayer Pharma AG, Bayer Corporation, Bayer Healthcare, and Bayer AG, alleging negligence.
According to the complaint, the company failed to publish all testing, and failed to properly inform potential customers of possible side affects and/or risks that could be caused with the product Xarelto. The plaintiff alleges this negligence led to the death of William Shelton.
Janssen spokesperson Kristina Chang issued the following statement in response to the lawsuit:
"Xarelto is an important anticoagulant used to treat and reduce the risk of life-threatening blood clots. After more than three years on the U.S. market, and more than 2 million patients prescribed in the U.S. to date, the benefit-risk profile of Xarelto remains favorable and consistent with the clinical trials. All anticoagulants, or blood thinners, carry the risk of bleeding, and the prescribing information for Xarelto has always warned of these risks. Blood thinners are important and potentially life-saving medicines that should be taken by patients as prescribed by a doctor and should not be discontinued without a discussion with a doctor. We will continue to defend against the claims raised in the litigation."
The plaintiff seeks more than $50,000 from each defendant, attorney fees, and further relief as the court sees fit. He is represented by attorneys John J. Driscoll and Christopher J. Quinn of The Driscoll Firm in St. Louis.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 15-L-510.