News for 2010

Texas woman says Yaz caused brain damage

old yaz pack 100x100 Texas woman says Yaz caused brain damageRebecca Anderson-Hull of Texas blames her birth control pills for damaging her brain and forcing her to need assistance walking, eating and even being understood. It happened two years ago when the 46-year-old mother of three suddenly and unexpectedly suffered a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in her lungs. She was rushed to the hospital but the lack of oxygen had caused massive brain damage. She will never be able to care for herself again, doctors said.

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Group advocates to make birth control pills available OTC

Members of the Oral Contraceptive Over-the-Counter Working Group are advocating to – you guessed it – make birth control pills available for women without a prescription. But it is in the best interest for women when they can carry serious and even life-threatening risks?

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Women with high blood pressure should use caution with ‘the pill’

Women who have high blood pressure should use caution when taking birth control pills because the estrogen in oral contraceptives puts them at greater risk of developing blood clots and heart problems. High blood pressure affects about 74.5 million people in the United States age 20 and older.

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Bayer drops lawsuit against Teva over Yaz/Gianvi, but the fight continues

Bayer has dropped its patent suit in Delaware against Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., and Barr Pharmaceuticals for infringing on its multi-million-dollar-selling oral contraceptive Yaz. Bayer had filed the lawsuit claiming TVA’s generic version of Yaz, known as Gianvi, infringed on Yaz. However, Bayer says it is maintaining its patent suit against Teva and Barr in Nevada District Court.

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Another woman files lawsuit against makers of Yaz

A Louisiana woman is suing Bayer Corporation claiming the company’s top-selling birth control pill Yaz caused her to develop life-threatening blood clots in her lungs. Heather Gillespie claims that the makers of the oral contraceptive, also known as Yasmin and the generic ocella, failed to warn her of the risks associated with taking the pills. She is seeking damages.

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Woman blames Yaz for gallbladder damage, severe depression

old yaz pack 100x100 Woman blames Yaz for gallbladder damage, severe depressionA Virginia woman has filed a lawsuit against the makers of Yaz birth control pill, claiming the oral contraceptive damaged her gallbladder and drove her to attempt suicide. Megan M. Stewart, 21, filed the 11-count complaint against Bayer Corporation last month, adding to the more than 1,000 lawsuits filed against the pharmaceutical company by women who allege they were not adequately warned of the risks involved with taking Yaz, also known as Yasmin and Ocella.

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Judge orders birth control pill makers to turn over files for litigation

District Judge David Herndon is ordering sales representatives who pushed the oral contraceptives Yasmin, Yaz, Ocella and Gianvi to produce all their files and communications for national litigation. The order covers “all written materials, video and/or audio tapes” and includes training materials, e-mails, voice mail transcripts, summaries of meetings, incentive and goal plans, and all communications between representatives and managers. Herndon also ordered Bayer Health Care Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Schering Pharma, Barr Laboratories, and Teva Pharmaceuticals to produce records from their facilities.

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Bayer, Teva rival birth control pills go head-to-head in court

Teva Pharmaceuticals Logo 100x100 Bayer, Teva rival birth control pills go head to head in courtThings are getting even uglier between two pharmaceutical companies whose oral contraceptives will soon go head-to-head in America. First, Bayer announced it was suing Teva Pharmaceutical Industries for prematurely pushing Gianvi, its generic version of Bayer’s blockbuster birth control pill Yaz, also known as Yasmin.

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Bayer launches campaign to educate women about birth control

Bayer has launched a new marketing campaign aimed at encouraging women to understand the risks and benefits of their birth control method, including those offered by Bayer. The drug company boasts the most popular birth control pills on the market – Yaz and Yasmin – which have brought in more than $1.5 billion since 2009. The pills are also bringing something new to Bayer – more than 1,000 lawsuits from women who claim they were not adequately warned by the company of the serious health risks associated with Yaz and Yasmin.

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‘Wicked’ understudy suffers stroke, joins lawsuit against Yasmin

wicked poster 100x100 Wicked understudy suffers stroke, joins lawsuit against YasminAn understudy for the Broadway show “Wicked” has joined a lawsuit against Bayer HealthCare, claiming the company’s best-seller birth control pill Yasmin caused her to suffer a stroke at the young age of 27. Brenda Hamilton had been on the pill two years when in May 2007 she became ill. She has since recovered.

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