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Aprotinin linked with higher risk of kidney failure, stroke and heart attack
Feb 1, 2006, 15:16, Reviewed by: Dr. Rashmi Yadav
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"This has all the signs of a drug that should not be on the market. It's more dangerous than the alternatives, which are just as effective. It's also more costly to patients and the healthcare system as a whole. There is no reason for this drug to be on the market today,."
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By Parker & Waichman, LLP,
Parker & Waichman, LLP (www.yourlawyer.com) announces that, in addition to numerous inquiries from potential clients, it has been retained in a case involving the use of Trasylol and is actively evaluating claims concerning Trasylol, a drug commonly used during heart surgery to reduce blood loss. Trasylol, known generically as Aprotinin, is manufactured by Bayer AG (NYSE:BAY) and is estimated to have generated $600 million in sales in 2005.
A study reported last week in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that Trasylol is linked to serious side effects. The study of 4,374 patients demonstrated that Trasylol at least doubles the risk of kidney failure and stroke, or encephalopathy, and raises the risk of heart failure or heart attack by 55 percent. Parker & Waichman, LLP represents victims of Trasylol and is actively evaluating claims on their behalf.
Trasylol was initially approved by the FDA in 1993 and is indicated to reduce perioperative blood loss and the need for blood transfusion in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in the course of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). While Trasylol is only approved for specific heart surgeries, it is commonly used for other surgeries including orthopedic procedures. Prior to the publication of the study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, Bayer AG filed a request with the FDA seeking Trasylol approval for hip and spinal surgeries.
Trasylol, which is derived from the lungs of bovine, is significantly more dangerous than similar drugs used to reduce blood loss. The two generic drugs examined in the New England Journal of Medicine study, aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid, were found to be significantly safer and just as effective as Trasylol. Furthermore, these generics are significantly less expensive than Trasylol; Trasylol costs more than $1,000 per patient versus $10 to $50 per patient for the generic drugs. The researchers estimated that using one of these generic drugs instead of Trasylol could prevent as many as 11,050 dialysis complications worldwide, and reduce drug costs by $250 million per year.
"This has all the signs of a drug that should not be on the market. It's more dangerous than the alternatives, which are just as effective. It's also more costly to patients and the healthcare system as a whole. There is no reason for this drug to be on the market today," said Jason Mark, an attorney with Parker & Waichman, LLP.
Most surgical patients are unaware of the medications they are given during the course of a surgical procedure. Trasylol is used during surgery, and it is therefore unlikely that patients would be aware that this drug was administered. For this reason, Parker & Waichman, LLP is encouraging all patients who suffered kidney failure, heart attack, heart failure or stroke after any surgical procedure to request a free case evaluation at www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/trasylol. 
- The study is reported last week in the New England Journal of Medicine
http://www.yourlawyer.com/
About Parker & Waichman, LLP
Parker & Waichman, LLP is a leading products liability and personal injury law firm that represents plaintiffs nationwide, with offices in New York and New Jersey. Parker & Waichman, LLP has assisted thousands of clients in receiving fair compensation for injuries resulting from defective medications and medical devices. For more information on Parker & Waichman, LLP please visit: www.yourlawyer.com, or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).
For more information about Trasylol and the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, please visit www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/trasylol or www.trasylol-lawsuit.com.
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