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Number of Yaz lawsuits continues to grow as problems mount

Posted in Drug & Medical Devices on October 31, 2012

The number of lawsuits filed against the maker of Yaz and Yasmin birth control products continues to grow as more women discover the health risks associated with the products.

According to Bayer’s Stockholder’s Newsletter, as of Oct. 15, 2012, there were 12,400 lawsuits pending in the United States that had been served on the company. An additional 720 claims were pending but had not yet been filed in court.

The company has already settled with 3,490 claimants and agreed to pay about $750 million.

Yaz (and in a slightly altered form, Yasmin) is an oral birth control medication billed as more than just a pill to prevent pregnancies. It also has the added benefits of treating moderate acne and a severe form of premenstrual syndrome called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. Unfortunately, as many women have found, it also packs the potential for a host of serious, even life-threatening side effects, including blood clots, gall bladder injury, heart attack and stroke.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered new warnings added to the labels of all birth control products containing drospirenone, including Yaz and Yasmin. The labels of these products now reflect the new information about the increased risk of blood clots.

According to the FDA communication, the new labels show that some studies reflected as high as a threefold increase in a woman’s risk of blood clots when using oral contraceptives that contain drospirenone compared with products that contain levonorgestrel or other progestins. A clot in blood vessels can prove fatal if it breaks loose and travels to the lungs, heart or brain.

If you or a loved one have used Yaz or Yasmin and suffered complications, please contact the personal injury attorneys of Elk & Elk today. We have nearly 50 years of experience helping clients get the results they deserve. Find out how we can help you. Call 1-800-ELK-OHIO today or fill out our online consultation form.