Trasylol Increases Heart Attack Risk During Heart Bypass Surgery

Unsafe Drugs

Trasylol is an agent used to minimize bleeding during heart bypass surgery. Although recent studies in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate Trasylol, made by Bayer, causes an increased risk of heart attacks and an increased risk of stroke.

To make matters worse, Trasylol costs about $1,400 per dose more than its safer, generic competition - aminocaproic acid which costs $4 per dose.

Why would a hospital put more patients at risk and pay more for the privilege of doing so?

In 1993, the FDA approved the use of Trasylol to reduce blood loss during coronary-artery bypass grafting; Trasylol became widely used in heart surgery. There is a concern that Trasylol has increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as kidney failure and short and long term mortality.

While Trasylol is more effective than a placebo, it is not safer and more effective than the competition. Do you have a Trasylol heart failure lawsuit?

The study had a total of 2,331 patients. 108 of these patients died within 30 days after study randomization. The 30-day rate of death from any cause was 6 percent in the Trasylol group; as compared with 3.9 percent in the tranexamic acid group; and 4.0 percent in the aminocaproic acid group.

The study was terminated on the recommendation of the independent data and safety committee who advised termination because of a strong trend toward higher mortality in the Trasylol group than in the other two groups.

Before the most recent study, analysis of clinical trials gave no indication of an excess risk of death associated with Trasylol, findings that played an important role in the FDA's decision in 2006 not to add a black-box warning to the Trasylol label.

How could Trasylol clinical trials and a study produce such contrasting results?

You are not alone. Find out if you or your family is eligible to file a Trasylol heart failure lawsuit. Do not wait too long as every state has a statute of limitations for filing these kinds of lawsuits. In PA, NJ, or WV contact the "of counsel" Trasylol law firm.

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