Injured By Yaz? Now What?

The safety of Bayer’s two blockbuster oral contraceptives, Yaz and Yasmin, have been called into question. These drugs which were the first to contain a progestin known as drospirenone, which is now used in a number of generic versions of the pills.

Yaz and Yasmin have been implicated in the formation of blood clots, a condition known as venous thrombo-embolism (VTE). The FDA recently found that Yaz and Yasmin side effects increased the risk of blood clots 74% when compared to older birth control pills that use levonorgestrel as a progestin instead of drospirenone. A number of other independent studies have shown an increased risk of blood clots from Yaz and Yasmin as well.

Newly unsealed documents, revealed during discovery in thousands of Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits being pursued against Bayer, indicate that experts believe that the company kept important safety data from federal regulators. Ex FDA Chief, Kessler gave expert opinion testimony that Bayer purposefully mislead the FDA about Yaz and Yasmin’s safety by selectively presenting data on blood clots and other thromboembolic events to make the drugs appear to be safer than they really were.

An Israeli study has found that side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control increase the risk of a pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis or another blood clot injury, when compared to older birth control pills. Researchers say they found that drospirenone-based birth control pills increased the risk of venous thromboembolism by as much as 65 percent, in a new study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal. This is at least the third study in recent weeks to confirm the risk of blood clots from Yaz birth control.

Drospirenone was originally introduced by Berlex Laboratories in Yasmin. Once Berlex was acquired by Bayer Healthcare an updated version of Yasmin was introduced called Yaz. More recently, Bayer introduced a third version, marketed as Beyaz, which includes a folate supplement. Generic versions of Yaz and Yasmin are also now available from other manufacturers. Generic versions of Yaz and Yasmin include Ocella, Gianvi, Loryna, Safyral, Syeda and Zarah.

As a result of Bayer’s failure to adequately warn about the risk of blood clots from the birth control pills, thousands of women throughout the United States have filed a lawsuits against Bayer after suffering serious and potentially life-threatening injuries who on the birth control pills, such as stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease and sudden death.

There are currently more than 10,538 lawsuits filed in federal district courts throughout the United States that have been centralized before Judge David R. Herndon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Our law firm is expecting to file 10 Yaz, Yasmin lawsuits this week in time for Christmas.

Currently the Yasmin and Yaz injury suits have been centralized for pretrial proceedings in the federal court system as well as several states. In federal court, all cases filed throughout the country are being handled out of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois for coordinated management during discovery, the early bellwether trials and any preliminary attempts to negotiate settlement offers.

Similar centralized management for the cases has been put in place for state court cases filed in New Jersey, California and Pennsylvania.

All of the cases involve similar allegations that Bayer failed to adequately warn about the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control.

In October 2010, Judge Herndon implemented a process that calls for a handful of cases to be prepared for a series of three early trials, known as bellwether cases. The first trial, which is expected to begin January 9, 2012, will involve a pulmonary embolism from Yaz. The second trial will involve a gallbladder injury from Yaz and the third trial will involve a venous thromboembolism (VTE), such as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

You have been impacted by Yaz, Yasmin side effects and injuries, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke or gallbladder disease, January 9, 2012 is around the corner and finally the jury can decide whether or nor Bayer is liable for your injuries.