Our Boston injury lawyers are offering free case assessments to women in Massachusetts who believe that they may have developed serious complications from taking Yasmin, YAZ, or Ocella birth control pills. These contraceptives all contain the progestin drospirenone, which has been linked to venous thromboembolic events, including heart attack, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke (CVA). Yasmin and YAZ are made by Bayer AG. Ocella, which is Yasmin’s generic version, is distributed by Barr Laboratories.
As you can imagine, these are serious health complications to have from taking oral contraceptives that also have been used to treat moderate acne, menopause, and osteoporosis. Yet as of the April, Bayer AG had already paid $142 million to women contending that Yasmin or YAZ had caused their blood clots, which can lead to some of these more serious health complications and even death.
However, if JP Morgan Chase & Co. analyst Richard Vosser is to be believed (per Bloomberg.com, he thinks that Bayer may end up paying over $2.65 billion dollars to resolve all its YAZ and Yasmin lawsuits), the 500 dangerous drug lawsuits involving venous clot injuries that have already been settled do not comprise even half of the cases that will have to be resolved. (There have also been women who have stepped forward contending that Yasmin and YAZ can cause gallbladder damage and/or gall stones. Bayer is rejecting these claims.)
In April, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered Bayer and the makers of other birth control pills containing drospirenone to strengthen their warning that these oral contraceptions cause blood clots. Researchers have said that drospirenone may up the risks of clots by three times.
Bayer Yasmin Lawsuit Settlements Climb To $142 Million, Bloomberg, April 26, 2012
FDA Drug Safety Communication: Updated information about the risk of blood clots in women taking birth control pills containing drospirenone, FDA, April 10, 2012
More Blog Posts:
Boston Products Liability: Yaz Birth Control Pill May Cause Serious Side Effects and Health Complications, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, April 12, 2012
New FDA Report Suggests Exercising Caution About Using Fosamax Long-Term, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, May 11, 2012
Pradaxa Lawsuit Claims Drug’s Side Effects Caused Woman to Bleed to Death, Boston Injury Lawyers Blog, April 30, 2012
Altman & Altman LLP represents Massachusetts dangerous drug clients with products liability cases against drug manufacturers, distributors, and other parties. Talk to one of our YAZ/Yasmin lawyers today.