The new-generation oral anticoagulants like Pradaxa, Xarelto, and Eliquis, launched as superior alternatives to Warfarin, have been linked to severe internal bleeding problems faced by thousands of users, which resulted in a significant number of deaths. This was owing to the fact, unlike Warfarin that had an antidote to control the bleeding, these new generation anticoagulants lacked the backup of a safe and effective reversal agent leaving many doctors helpless to control or stop the bleeding problems faced by many patients.
However, German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim, the makers of Pradaxa, announced recently that the FDA has finally given a full approval to Praxbind, an antidote developed by them to control bleeding caused by Pradaxa. This comes as a good news for the German drugmaker as it was embroiled in over 4,000 Pradaxa lawsuits and had to shell out $650 million in 2014 as an agreed settlement amount. Although lawsuits continue to be filed against these new generation anticoagulants, Pradaxa maker now has an advantage over its competitors, who have yet to come out with their antidotes.
