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Trasylol linked to 1,000 deaths per month

Trasylol, a drug used in one third of all cardiac bypass operations to control bleeding, was on the market for 14 years, possibly contributing to thousands of deaths. Why did it take Bayer Pharmaceuticals and the FDA 2 years to take the drug off the market? At the height of the drug’s use, it was the probable cause of up to 1,000 deaths per month.

A renowned researcher estimated that up to 22,000 patient’s lives could have been saved if the FDA had removed Trasylol back in 2006 when the studies began.

60 Minutes shares an insightful video about Joe Randone and his family’s journey to sue Bayer after Joe’s death. Joe was born with a heart murmur, but went on to lead a normal active life. In January 2006, Joe checked himself into the hospital for a routine heart valve replacement surgery. He was told that his surgery had only a 5 percent risk of complications, and he would be able to leave the hospital 5 days after surgery.

Trasylol was put into Joe’s IV and remained on a steady drip for 4 hours. After the surgery, his family was told that there had been complications, but the doctors failed to go into detail. Shortly thereafter, Joe suffered 2 heart attacks and kidney failure. Randone’s surgeon noted that he suffered from “Aprotinin-induced graft thrombosis”. Aprotinin is the generic name for Trasylol, and thrombosis means blood clotting.
Joe was able to return home after the surgery, only to have multiple other health problems. He became so swollen that he couldn’t even shut his eyes. Joe’s eyes were sewn shut to protect his corneas, his gallbladder had to be removed and his legs had to be amputated due to poor circulation. Over the course of 8 months, Joe underwent 19 surgeries.

To make matters worse, Joe could have been given two different drugs without the consequences. Both drugs were found to be effective in studies conducted, without the adverse side effects. Joe eventually died in August 2006.

I truly feel that Bayer and the FDA are more concerned about profits than about protecting and maintaining the health of their consumers. After reading Joe’s story, I almost felt physically sick thinking about the numerous surgeries that his body had to go through, and all for what? Joe and thousands of other people could be leading perfectly healthy lives now if they had not been given Trasylol during surgery. It completely astounds me to think that a drug can be put on the market before it is proven to be completely safe. Studies are conducted to prove the effectiveness of a drug and are tested on a small group of people. If the drug proves to be effective and safe within the small test group, it will then go on the market. My question is: who is protecting the consumer if it is not the FDA or the manufacturer of the drug? The answer remains to be seen.

I urge you to share this story with loved ones and friends, regardless if they have been directly affected by Trasylol or not. No one should have to suffer through life-threatening health complications after taking this drug. Please contact Drug Alert Updates for more information on Trasylol.

November 30, 2009  Tags: Bayer Pharmaceuticals, FDA, side effects  Posted in: Trasylol

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