How does a drug marketed by a pharmaceutical giant go from superstar to scapegoat in a matter of mere months? That's what doctors who use the injectable drug Trasylol-Aprotinin are asking themselves after recent revelations that the drug, which is used to stop bleeding in 60 percent of heart surgery patients, causes side effects such as kidney failure, heart attack, encephalopathy, stroke and even death.

The New England Journal of Medicine study published in 2006 reported that after being administered Trasylol-Aprotinin, patients risk of renal failure, stroke, death and heart attack increased by 259 percent; at that point the drug had already been manufactured by Bayer AG for 13 years, since 1993.

Singing Its Praises

Ironically, the drug had been mentioned in The Washington Post in early January 2006 as an example of a drug so safe that it no longer required clinical study. The Washington Post article reported that after 12 of 64 clinical trials, Trasylol's positive advantages over other drugs was clear, as the article claimed blood transfusion ins among bypass patients decreased by nearly one-third. The article also included information that suggested if scientists had used the previous results of the drug, which were positive, then additional clinical trials would not have been necessary.

Tides Turn for Trasylol

The above article ran on January 2, 2006. However, once the New England Journal of Medicine study on Trasylol-Aprotinin was published on the risks of approximately 1,000 heart surgery patients, the drug's use began to diminish. Bayer responded by insisting that the study was inherently flawed, but it came to the attention of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who warned doctors and patients of the drug's adverse side effects, which include increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and even the deadly brain disease encephalopathy.

Though Bayer has tried to discredit this study and market the drug for other procedures (including hip replacement surgery), lawsuits have begun to flow in as more and more patients have been found who have experienced detrimental side effects from the use of Trasylol-Aprotinin in their heart surgeries.

Have You Suffered Side Effects?

Gaining the perspective of an experience pharmaceutical attorney who can consult you on your experience with Trasylol-Aprotinin will allow the potential for monetary compensation for the costly medical bills attributed to these damaging side effects. It is advisable to speak with an experienced Trasylol lawyer who can consult on the details of a lawsuit and potential monetary compensation.