Boehringer Ingelheim agrees $650 million comprehensive settlement of US Pradaxa litigation

German family-owned pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim says it has reached a comprehensive settlement of US state and federal cases in the litigation regarding severe and fatal bleeding in patients said to have been caused its blockbuster blood thinner Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate), in the amount of $650 million.

"Time and again, the benefits and safety of Pradaxa have been confirmed," said Desiree Ralls-Morrison, senior vice president and general counsel, Boehringer Ingelheim USA. "BI stands resolutely behind Pradaxa and believed from the outset that the plaintiffs' claims lacked merit. Notwithstanding our strong belief that we would prevail in these law suits, this settlement allows BI to avoid the distraction and uncertainty of lengthy litigation and focus on our mission of improving patients' lives."

Pradaxa was the first oral anticoagulant approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in more than 50 years to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).