Peter Kent

Controversy Over Side Effects of Trasylol Injections

Trasylol-aprotinin is an injectable drug administered to individuals usually undergoing heart surgery or kidney disease procedures. Trasylol controls the blood during these medical procedures. However, it was recently discovered that Trasylol's side effects may actually worsen the condition of patient's by causing them to develop heart disease, kidney failure, stroke or death.

A blood-controlling agent used during heart bypass and heart-related surgeries has been allegedly found to increase a patients chance of developing heart disease, stroke and could eventually lead to death. From the German company Bayer AG, Trasylol, also known in its generic form as aprotinin, is being investigated for the potentially serious and deadly side effects.

But the drug, which is used in 60 percent of all bypass procedures, actually contributes to decreased health in bypass patients by doubling heart bypass patients' risk of developing dialysis-demanding kidney failure, in addition to increasing the possibility of future strokes, heart attacks, and even death.

In fact, it is estimated that use of the Trasylol-Aprotinin injection causes 10,000 cases of kidney failure in heart bypass patients every year.

Other Staggering Statistics

10,000 is a huge number...but what about 109 or even 181 percent? These are the percentages by which Trasylol patients are at risk for heart failure and stroke, respectively.

In addition, Trasylol has been proven to make bypass surgery patients twice as likely to suffer kidney failure. This will lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in healthcare costs - a number that stands in stark contrast to Bayer's December 2005 announcement that the drug had a $615 million sales potential.

And the statistics don't stop there - a January 2006 study by researchers at the Ischemic Research and Education Foundation in California stated that switching to generic Trasylol alternatives, such as tranexamic acid or aminocaproic acid, could not only prevent over 11,000 kidney complications a year, but could also reduce worldwide drug costs by over $200 million and save over a billion healthcare dollars. Serious statistics for a drug that has been given rise to serious medical concerns.

Bayer Continues to Market and Promote

As recently as March 2006, Bayer AG continued to vehemently defend and market its potentially dangerous drug, Trasylol. The use of this is being pushed by its manufacturer to be used in other surgeries especially hip replacement.

Though the drug costs 10 times more than its generic counterparts (which have not been proven to provoke any dangerous renal or heart symptoms), Bayer AG continues to promote and sell it to over 1 million bypass and other heart surgery patients per year.

If You Have Experienced Side Effects

If you have experienced negative side effects due to your use of injectable Trasylol-Aprotinin, including but not limited to encephalopathy, renal failure, heart problems, or stroke, contact an experienced pharmaceutical products attorney after seeking competent medical care.

Your Trasylol lawyer can assess your potential case, help you file your lawsuit, and even help you gain monetary compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, future medical care and pain and suffering due to the dangerous side effects of Trasylol-Aprotinin.

The dangerous side effects of Trasylol-Aprotinin may cause continued suffering of those patients already troubled by serious heart conditions.

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