A judge in Pennsylvania overturned a $27.8 million jury award against Johnson & Johnson and Bayer AG over claims their blood thinner Xarelto caused internal bleeding, according to EquitiesFocus.com.
In December, a jury awarded Lynn Hartman $1.8 million in compensatory damages and $26 million in punitive damages after she claimed taking Xarelto for her atrial fibrillation caused gastrointestinal bleeding. The lawsuit is just one of nearly 21,400 Johnson & Johnson and Bayer AG are facing over Xarelto, but this was the first to award any damages.
In three previous cases, federal judges cleared the companies of any liability. Both companies noted the drug's label adequately warns customers of any internal bleeding risk.