The Taxus stent is a cardiac drug-eluting stent manufactured by Boston Scientific.  Some studies have suggested that Taxus medicated stents carry an increased risk of serious and potentially fatal blood clots.

Boston Scientific knew or had reason to know of the increased risk of clots (also known as stent thrombosis) they failed to properly warn users and did not provide instructions to reduce the risk of heart attacks and blood clots. As a result, several thousand individuals could have experienced a blood clot or heart attack which may have been preventable.

Taxus stent lawsuits were previously reviewed for individuals who suffered a:

  • Heart Attack
  • Reclogging of the Artery
  • Death

New cases are no longer being accepted. This page is maintained for informational purposes only.

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC TAXUS DRUG ELUTING STENTS

The Boston Scientific Taxus stent is a paclitaxel-drug-eluting stent which was introduced in 2004.  When stents were first introduced during the 1990s they were bare-metal devices. 

The Taxus stent is one of two newer generation stents which contain a drug coating on the metal to prevent scar tissue inside the artery and reduce the risk of a new blockage.  However, research has shown that the drug coating may actually increase the risk of potentially fatal blood clots, which is considered by many health experts to be a much more serious risk than the possibility of another blockage from scar tissue.

>>INFORMATION: Drug Coated Stent Dangers

Cardiac stents gained widespread use during the 1990s, but in recent years the drug-coated stents have grown to account for nearly 90% of the heart stents used in procedures throughout the United States.  The Taxus stent is one of two medicated heart stents on the market.  The other is the Cypher stent, manufactured by Johnson and Johnson.

During the three years since the Taxus medicated stent was approved for sale in the United States, it has become one of Boston Scientific’s top-selling products.  Approximately 6 million people world-wide have either the Taxus stent or Cypher stent with the drug coating.  Sales for medicated stents have exceeded $5 billion a year.

TAXUS STENT PROBLEMS

The Taxus drug-coated stent has been shown to carry a significant risk of blood clots, or stent thrombosis.  The danger of potentially fatal blood clots can extend for years after the stent is inserted into the artery.  Cardiologists have expressed concerns regarding the safety of the Taxus stent and Cypher stent, but the manufacturers have continued to minimize the risk and provide inadequate warnings to consumers and the medical community.

>>INFORMATION: Heart Stent Problems

Boston Scientific has recently confirmed that their own study indicates the Taxus heart stent carries a statistically increased risk of blood clots for patients when compared with older bare-metal stents that do not contain the drug coating.  Similar risks have been found in the Johnson and Johnson Cypher medicated stents.  The FDA and Cardiologists have focused a lot of attention recently on the safety of medicated stents and what precautions should be taken to protect consumers from the risk of blood clots and heart attacks.

TAXUS STENT CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS

The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk were investigating potential Taxus stent lawsuits for individuals who have had the drug coated cardiac stent implanted and suffered blood clots resulting in:

  • Heart attacks
  • Reclogging of the artery at the site of the stent, or
  • Death

New cases are no longer being accepted. This page is maintained for informational purposes only.