“I used to take Yaz until it mess up my gallbladder and I had to get surgery to have it removed. Thank you, Yaz!”

“I have heard bad things about this brand of contraception so I will not use it.”

“Don’t take Yaz. *personal experience*”

Yaz, also known as Yasmin and by the generic ocella, was introduced in the United States as a new type of birth control pill that not only prevented unwanted pregnancies but also helped curb the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and treat moderate acne.

The pills were marketed by a massive adverting campaign, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) slapped Bayer, the makers of Yaz and Yasmin, with a huge penalty saying its ads didn’t adequately warn women of the risks associated with the pills, such as blood clots that could lead to pulmonary embolism, heart attacks and strokes, as well as gallbladder problems. The drug company was forced to run more ads clearly stating its approved uses and possible risks.

When Bayer began running the disclaimer ads, the pills were already the top selling oral contraceptives in the country, bringing in billions of dollars annually to Bayer. Meanwhile, thousands of otherwise healthy women were beginning to fall ill and even die from blood clots and other health problems. Bayer now faces more than 1,000 lawsuits from women injured by the pills.

Is it any wonder Yaz has a bad reputation on YouTube?

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Bad press catches up with top selling Yaz, Yasmin

Rebecca Anderson-Hull

How could an otherwise healthy woman suffer from life-threatening blood clots? Her doctors said it was likely caused by her oral contraceptives. Rebecca had been taking Yaz, the country’s most widely used birth control pill, for two years.

“Do you think the company knew,” asked CBS 11’s Ginger Allen.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Do you blame the company?” the reporter asked.
“Yes,” Rebecca replied.

Rebecca is just one of thousands of women across the country who have filed lawsuits against Bayer, the makers of Yaz, also known as Yasmin and by the generic ocella. The lawsuits allege that Bayer was aware that its blockbuster birth control pills put women at greater risk of blood clots that could lead to heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms and strokes but failed to adequately warn them that their lives were at risk.

The lawsuits reflect a concern raised not long after the revolutionary birth control pills were introduced to the market. Bayer launched the pills with a huge advertising campaign touting the drug’s benefits for everything from premenstrual syndrome to acne. The Food and Drug Administration barked back at Bayer saying its ads were misleading, that they overstated the benefits of Yaz and minimized the serious risks associated with the pills. Bayer was fined and was ordered to launch a new ad campaign, this time clearly stating the approved uses for the pills and explaining the risk.

But it was too little, too late for many women, including Rebecca. Now Rebecca, and thousands of other victims of Yaz side effects, are demanding justice.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Texas woman says Yaz caused brain damage

Brenda’s story is told far too often these days. She is one of more than 1,100 women suing the drug company alleging claims of serious health problems after taking Yasmin, also known as Yaz. The lawsuits claim Bayer was aware of the increased risk of life-threatening blood clots in women taking Yasmin but they failed to adequately warn consumers of that risk. Some studies have backed up those claims; however, Bayer contends the blood clot risk for Yasmin and Yaz is no greater than other oral contraceptives.

Bayer has a reason to contest the claims made by the defendants. Its popular birth control pills have brought in $1.5 billion since 2009, making Yaz and Yasmin the most popular birth control pills in America and a favorite in Canada and numerous European countries. Yasmin and Yaz are different from other birth control pills because they contain drospirenone, a diuretic, that can increase potassium levels in the blood. This imbalance can trigger heart rhythm disturbances that can cause blood clots that can lead to pulmonary embolism, strokes, or even sudden cardiac death. The pills have also been linked to gallbladder disease.

Source: WPIX

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › ‘Wicked’ understudy suffers stroke, joins lawsuit against Yasmin

Dawn Varrechio

Like many women, Dawn was taking Yaz birth control pills, the most popular oral contraceptive in America. What she didn’t realize is that by taking Yaz she was putting herself at greater risk for life-threatening blood clots. Last year, two studies published in the British Medical Journal found women on Yaz to be at greater risk of developing blood clots than on other forms of birth control. Bayer HealthCare, makers of Yaz, sponsored two previous studies that discount those claims, arguing that Yaz doesn’t increase blood clot risk any more than other brands of birth control pills.

Yaz, also known by the brand name Yasmin and the generic Ocella, is the only birth control pill that contains drospirenone, a diuretic, and ethinyl estradiol. The pills were touted not only for pregnancy prevention but also for the treatment of severe acne and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. Yaz soared in popularity, becoming a blockbuster money maker for Bayer.

But as Bayer began collecting its profits, reports of serious injuries and deaths in women who took the drug began pouring in. Bayer now faces more than a thousand lawsuits from women who say Yaz caused them to suffer from health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, and gallbladder disease.

Survivors can only hope their problems don’t return. “It’s scary,” said Dawn, who says she now worries about the long-term effects Yaz will have on her. “It’s really scary.”

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Woman worries about long-term effects of Yaz

Irina Shiryaeva

Blood clots are one of the most common causes of death in the United States, second only to cancer. Despite their prevalence, only six percent of Americans know the symptoms and risk factors of blood clots – including pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots that commonly affect the leg veins.

According to the National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia, there are many known causes for blood clots to form. Those factors include prolonged bed rest or inactivity, such as long plane rides. The lack of movement can cause reduced circulation in the legs. Most surgical procedures or physical trauma can also increase one’s risk. Other situations that increase one’s risk of blood clots includes pregnancy, oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy.

Estrogen does not cause blood clots, but it does dramatically increase a woman’s risk. Most birth control pills, which include an estrogen and progestin, increase a woman’s risk of blood clots by as much as three- to four-fold. About one woman out of 300 taking oral contraceptives will develop a blood clot. Women on birth control pills who have additional risk factors – such as taking a long-distance trip or flight – are at even greater risk of developing potentially life threatening blood clots.

While manufacturers of birth control pills and even birth control patches have warnings on their label of the increased risk of blood clots, many women who have been harmed by them say the warnings weren’t adequate enough. Several lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Yaz, Yasmin and its generic, Ocella; and Johnson & Johnson, maker of the Ortho Evra birth control patch, has paid millions to settle lawsuits from women who have suffered blood clots after using the patches.

Unfortunately, it’s too late for Irina, who leaves behind a husband and 3-year-old son.

Source: News Observer

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Birth control pills, long plane flights increase risk of blood clots

Yaz, and Bayer’s equivalent Yasmin, as well as the generic Ocella, are considered fourth-generation birth control pills. They contain a new type of synthetic progestin, drospirenone, that acts as a diuretic. The pills are promoted to not only prevent pregnancies but to also treat severe acne and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD.

As of November, the Food and Drug Administration had received 993 reports of pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs), 487 reports of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the deep veins), and 229 reports of other blood clots from birth control pills containing drospirenone.

Bayer stands by the safety of its blockbuster birth control pill, saying the pills carry the same health risk as any other type of oral contraceptive. However, two separate studies in the British Medical Journal claimed women were at as much as 6.3 times higher risk of developing blood clots when taking Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella. Recently, Bayer updated the labels of Yaz and Yasmin to include a risk of developing life-threatening blood clots.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Yaz, Yasmin can be dangerous to your health

Bayer HealthCare

Yaz and Yasmin, as well as the generic Ocella, contain drospirenone, a diuretic that the plaintiffs claim elevated potassium in their bloodstream, which put them at greater risk for serious and sometimes fatal complications from blood clots, such as heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis and stroke. Diuretics can also cause significant problems with the gallbladder and may lead to gallbladder removal.

The lawsuits allege Bayer’s birth control pills put users at greater risk for serious adverse events; however, the company maintains that a woman’s risk of developing blood clots while taking Yaz or Yasmin is similar to other oral contraceptives.

Yaz and Yasmin were Bayer’s top-selling pharmaceutical last year, ringing in sales of $1.64 billion.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Bayer adds new information about blood clot risk to Yaz, Yasmin labels

According to the Southeastern Texas Record, three east Texas women filed lawsuits against Merck & Co. Inc., alleging that they relied on misrepresentations of the device and as a result suffered injuries. All claim the manufacturers failed to warn them of the greater risk of venous thromboembolism, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

The Nuvaring controversy is just another incident in which women claim that makers of contraceptives failed to adequately warn them of the increased risk of serious injury when using the birth control. Johnson & Johnson recently paid $68 million to settle thousands of cases against women who say they suffered from blood clots and other serious events after using the Ortho Evra birth control patch. As a result, the company no longer actively markets the patch.

Bayer Healthcare has found itself in a similar mess with its biggest money-maker, Yaz, a birth control pill also known by the brand name Yasmin. Plaintiffs claim the hormone-plus-diuretic formulation is more dangerous than other oral contraceptives, causing life-threatening blood clots and gallbladder problems.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Lawsuits claim Nuvaring is just as dangerous as Ortho Evra patch, Yaz

Schwoob was one of two million Canadian women in 2009 prescribed Bayer Pharmaceutical’s blockbuster oral contraceptive Yasmin, according to TheSpec.com. Yasmin is also sold under the brand name Yaz and the generic brand ocella. Three months after starting on the meds, Schwoob suffered the chest pains. She says she was never warned that by taking Yasmin, she was at greater risk of suffering blood clots and other serious health problems. She is now a vocal representative of a class action lawsuit against Bayer filed by women, like her, who have been harmed by Yasmin. Bayer also faces hundreds of similar lawsuits in the United States.

Schwoob’s lawsuit claims Yasmin and Yaz carry a four times greater risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism compared to other contraceptives, yet the company failed to adequately warn the public of those risks. Bayer contests that notion, arguing that its birth control pills are safe and effective.

The class action lawsuit seeks damages of $500,000 for every woman who was prescribed Yasmin, as well as $20 million in punitive damages.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Canadian women sue makers of Yasmin over health problems

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

DVT is a common disorder, but it is highly preventable, says Gary Raskob, Ph.D. and lead author of the AJPM Paper. “That’s why spreading the word about who’s at risk and the steps one can take to prevent these dangerous clots is so important,” he said.

The paper recommends strengthening surveillance of DVT and PE, and increasing public awareness of risk factors through a national campaign. For example, recent studies have identified that people who travel by airplane are at three times greater risk of developing DVT or PE. The campaign would advise air travelers to reduce their risk by staying active on the plane and staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcoholic beverages.

Other risk factors include surgery or trauma, hospitalization for medical illness, cancer, obesity, smoking, pregnancy, age over 60, and a family history of blood clots. Oral contraceptives can also put users at greater risk of blood clots. To date, 59 deaths have been linked to the popular birth control pill, Yaz, also known as Yasmin or Ocella.

Symptoms of DVT include sudden pain, swelling and tenderness. PE symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and sweating. For more information about these blood clotting disorders, visit the American Society of Hematology Web site at www.BloodTheVitalConnection.org.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Medical community wants to raise awareness of preventable blood clots

The Tennessee Tech student had been taking the drug for about six months when she suddenly passed out in the shower. Her roommate called 911, and when Leah briefly regained consciousness, her roommate got her mother, Traci, on the phone. “Leah told me that she was scared, and that she was tingling all over,” Traci tells WREG-TV. “I told her it was going to be OK, that me and daddy was coming.”

But they arrived too late. Leah died less than an hour after she collapsed. Doctors say what killed her was a blood clot in her lung, also known as a pulmonary embolism. “How does this happen to a healthy 20-year-old lady?” Traci asks. The answer may be in the birth control pill she was taking.

The diuretic drospirenone that is in Yaz can cause an increase in potassium levels in the blood, which can lead to hyperkalemia, a condition that causes heart rhythm disturbances that can cause blood clots that can trigger cardiac death or pulmonary embolism or strokes. Diuretics also can cause significant problems with the gallbladder, leading to gallbladder removal.

The Mayfields have joined at least 50 other women injured by Yaz and filed a lawsuit against Bayer. The lawsuit alleges that the drug maker ignored the increased risks of Yaz and kept it on the market to enjoy mounting profits. Now Traci wants to warn others of the dangers of Yaz.

“(Leah) didn’t have to die,” Traci says. “She didn’t have to die because of a pill.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Mother warns others of the dangers of Yaz

Yaz incorporates a unique progestin, drospirenone, with ethinyl estradiol, a more common ingredient used in birth control drugs. Many women who have been injured after starting a Yaz regimen allege that the drug poses a multitude of serious risks, which Bayer downplayed in its Yaz marketing campaigns.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration admonished Bayer in October 2008, citing the company for “significant deviations” in its promotion of Yaz. The complaint largely centered on the understatement of the drug’s risks and the overstatement of its benefits, including the treatment of conditions for which the drug was not approved. The misleading marketing campaign is frequently cited in lawsuits brought against Bayer by former Yaz users.

Some of the most serious side effects associated with Yaz include stroke, heart arrhythmia cardiac arrest, deep vein thrombosis and other forms of blood clotting, pulmonary embolism, gallbladder disease, kidney damage or failure, and sudden death.

Judge Herndon told Southwestern Illinois’ Belleville News-Democrat that he may also conduct bellwether trials, a cluster of cases selected because they reflect the charges and allegations of the other lawsuits. The outcome of bellwether trials helps establish guidelines for other cases.

When a significant number of similar lawsuits, such as those being brought against Bayer over Yaz injuries, accumulate in federal courts, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation normally moves to consolidate them in one U.S. District Court to avoid redundant efforts and inconsistent pre-trial rulings. The dynamics of these representative trials will then be considered in the evaluation of other cases.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Southern Illinois district court to handle Yaz lawsuits

The plaintiff, who resides in Belpre, Ohio, had been taking Yaz for about a year when she developed deep vein thrombosis in her leg. She spent three days in the hospital, where like many other women who use Yaz, she was put on a regimen of blood thinners to dissolve the clot and reduce the swelling in her leg.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a very serious type of blood clot that can lead to serious complications and death if not treated properly. Clots that form a DVT can become dislodged, traveling through the bloodstream to the lungs and causing a pulmonary embolism, resulting in permanent damage to the lung. DVT can also cause stroke, cardiac arrest, and other potentially deadly conditions.

Yaz contains drospirenone, a synthetic progestin used in Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella, which is a generic form of Yasmin. Drospirenone has been shown to increase potassium levels in some women who take the drug, which can lead to DVT and affect the function of several organs, including the heart.

The Ohio plaintiff’s lawsuit was filed in New Jersey Superior Court. The suit alleges that the plaintiff’s injuries were the result of Bayer’s failure to adequately warn consumers of the drug’s risks. Her attorney claims that Bayer knew Yaz to be more dangerous than other birth-control pills, but chose to downplay the drug’s hazards.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Ohio mother sues Bayer, alleging Yaz caused blood clot

The plaintiff began taking Yaz after her gynecologist reassured her of the drug’s benefits and safety. After weeks of using Yaz, however, the woman began experiencing severe pain that sent her to the emergency room twice for general treatment and CT scans.

It took 13 hours for doctors to finally discover the problem. According to the Times, “In her left lung, the pulmonologist told her, was the largest blood clot they had ever seen and there were others in her right lung as well.”

The woman spent 6 days in the hospital as she was treated with 2 types of blood thinners to dissolve the clots in her lungs. Doctors expected a good recovery but told her that she might never be completely the same . Two weeks after the treatment, she told the Times that she is “incredibly tired most of the time.”

The plaintiff said that a couple of days after the treatment the severity of her situation suddenly hit her. “Wow, I almost died,” she told the Times. Now she strives to tell others about how Yaz affected her and has put the lives of so many other women in danger.

“It’s not just about women who are my age,” she told the Times, adding that lots of younger women are being seriously injured by the drug.

“There’s no reason for blood clots to be forming except for this pill and it’s a very scary situation,” she said.

Bayer has defended itself and Yaz against the allegations, pointing to the two Bayer-funded studies that showed the drug had a safety profile similar to other, more traditional oral contraceptives.

Another Yaz study, not funded by Bayer, found women who took Yaz to be more at risk for blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. Those results were echoed by a more recent study published by the British Medical Journal in August.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Recovering Maryland woman sues Bayer after Yaz nearly killed her

“She was short of breath. She was having severe chest pains and her face was changing colors,” Kraus told WTAE.

“She ended up going into cardiac arrest three times. One time it took 10 minutes to revive her. They eventually had to do emergency surgeries because they noticed there were two huge blood clots, one in each pulmonary artery,” Kraus said.

Kraus said that because of Yaz, her daughter now faces possibly lifelong struggles with pancreatitis, liver function problems, and acute kidney failure. Kraus and the other plaintiffs have requested a jury trial, more than $150,000 in compensation, attorney fees, court costs, and punitive damages.

Bayer Corporation, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh, defended itself from the allegations in a statement to WTAE.

“The complaints we have reviewed so far pertain to side effects that are warned about in the labeling of all contraceptives. Bayer will defend itself vigorously against these lawsuits,” a company spokesman said.

The lawsuit, however, alleges that Bayer grossly downplayed the risks of Yaz in its advertising campaigns and that the number of adverse events caused by Yaz is at least 10 times more than the number reported incidents, possibly 100 times more.

“I just don’t want anybody else to see their child go through anything like this ever again,” Kraus told WTAE.

Source: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Mother says Yaz nearly killed her daughter

Development of gall stones and gall bladder disease are among the serious risks associated with the oral contraceptive Yaz. The drug has also been blamed for elevating the risk of cardiac arrhythmias and heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, blood clots, kidney failure, seizures, deep vein thrombosis, hepatic adenomas and sudden death.

According to the lawsuit, 50 deaths attributed to the use of Yaz and Yasmin were reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between the first quarter of 2004 and the third quarter of 2008.

The lawsuit alleges that Bayer markets Yaz and Yasmin “as providing the same efficacy as other birth control pills in preventing pregnancy, but with additional benefits,” rather than the higher risks the drugs pose.

“The foreseeable risks of the product exceeded the benefits associated with its design or formulation. Or they were more dangerous than an ordinary consumer would expect,” the lawsuit states.

The plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages, medical expenses and economic damages, and attorney’s fees. Because Bayer ran a deceptive ad campaign for Yaz, hailing the drug for uses unapproved by the FDA while downplaying its risks, the plaintiff also seeks an unspecified amount of punitive damages.

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Chicago woman sues Bayer over Yaz-related injuries

The plaintiff claims that at the time, she was not aware the FDA had not approved Yaz for the treatment of skin conditions. In an extensive and aggressive marketing campaign, Bayer touted its birth control drug as an effective treatment for acne and symptoms associated with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) – conditions for which the FDA never tested or approved Yaz.

In October 2008, FDA officials warned Bayer that its Yaz ads intentionally mislead and confused viewers by overstating the drug’s effectiveness, overselling its benefits, and not adequately communicating the drug’s potential for serious side effects, including blood clots, cardiac arrest, and gallbladder disease. According to the FDA, the commercials used distracting visuals, multiple scene changes, and background music that effectively interfered with the audio presentation about the serious risks associated with the drug.

“Bayer promoted Yaz with the slogan ‘the difference a little chemistry can make,’” the plaintiff said. “What Bayer did not disclose was how negative that difference can be. Yaz gave me life-threatening injuries that have forever altered my life.”

After several months of Yaz therapy, the plaintiff developed an acute pain in her left shoulder and had difficulty breathing. A visit to the doctor revealed the plaintiff had developed blood clots in both her lungs. She was hospitalized immediately and treated successfully, but just one month later she developed gallstones and had to undergo surgery for their removal.

The plaintiff alleges that she “suffered months of anxiety and nausea related to (the) medical procedures and drugs given to treat the adverse side effects (she) developed from taking Yaz.”

The complaint charges that had Bayer properly warned patients about the dangers of using Yaz strictly as an acne treatment, the plaintiff could have avoided serious injury.

The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, where Bayer’s American operations are based. The plaintiff seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory damages.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Injured by Yaz, SC nurse files lawsuit against Bayer

Pulmonary embolisms are blockages in one of the arteries leading to the lungs formed by a substance that has migrated through the bloodstream from another part of the body, commonly the legs. Clinical studies of Yaz conducted in Denmark and the Netherlands suggest a link between the Yaz ingredient drosperinone and a higher occurrence of blood clots than in women who took traditional contraceptives containing levonorgestrel.

A spokesperson for Bayer said that the company is cooperating with the investigation, but that it stood by the safety of its drug.

“A singular case, as tragic and sad as it is, does not indicate an increased risk for the whole group of women who take the pill,” Oliver Renner, a Bayer spokesman, told Bloomberg. “Studies have shown that the risk isn’t higher for Yaz than for other oral contraceptives.”

Of course, Bayer’s spokesperson dismisses the results of the two independent clinical trials and focuses on the more favorable outcome the Bayer-funded clinical test, which suggested the risks of Yaz were similar to those of traditional birth control therapies.

As the top selling oral contraceptive in the world, Yaz is big business for Bayer. The drug brought in $1.86 billion just in the first quarter of 2009.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Switzerland investigates the death of young Yaz user

Yaz

All of the lawsuits allege that Yaz and Yasmin caused adverse events attributable to the ingredient drospirenone (DRSP), which has been linked to blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, gall bladder disease, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and other serious reactions, including sudden death. The suits assert that Bayer knew about the risks but failed to disclose them to consumers while at the same time aggressively marketing the drug.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Bayer that its television advertisements for Yaz were misleading and failed to disclose all of the drug’s risks.

Traditional birth control drugs do not contain DRSP, which is a new type of progestin that influences the body’s natural ability to balance salt and water, which could adversely lead to elevated potassium levels. Excessive potassium levels in the body may trigger fatal cardiac arrhythmia and other serious health problems.

The FDA received more than 50 reports of deaths linked to Yaz and Yasmin between 2004 and 2008. The fatalities involved heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, and strokes. Excessive blood potassium levels were found in many of the cases.

A U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has scheduled a hearing for September 24 to decide if the Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits currently pending in federal courts are similar enough to be consolidated into an MDL (multi-district litigation).

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Yaz lawsuits consolidated in Pennsylvania