Lawyers Handling Yasmin/Yaz Lawsuits Seek to Unify Seperate Suits | ArticlesBase.com

Posted on August 12, 2009
Filed Under Law |

Lawsuits were filed in several states against Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation and other Bayer related companies, alleging that Bayer did not provide adequate warnings against Yasmin/Yaz side effects potentially increasing the risk of serious health complications, including heart attacks, strokes, gallbladder disease, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism. In light of these suits being filed, three main firms responsible for managing the majority of these lawsuits have filed a joint motion asking that the Yasmin/Yaz litigation be combined. This motion would condense the suits and transfer them to Chief Judge James G. Carr of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Lawsuits were filed against Bayer after a series of reports were released linking Yasmin/Yaz to several deaths nationwide. Some of these cases were fatal; complications included such serious effects as stroke and heart attacks. The complications were caused by different factors, but one of the most notable interactions between the contraceptive and women's bodies was the presence of high levels of potassium. These raised levels are potentially dangerous for women with prexisting conditions such as diabetes, obesity, chronic high blood pressure, renal (kidney) conditions, history of stoke, or deep vein thrombosis. More often than not, women were unaware or unwarned of the potentially serious side effects.

In the past, Bayer has caught the ire of the FDA for running misleading advertisements. In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to Berlex Laboratories, an integrated part of the Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation, advising them to cease the use of an advertisement for Yasmin. The FDA claimed that the advertisement was misleading, making Yasmin seem as if the side effects were significantly reduced and minimized the warnings of serious health complications due to side effects, especially when the FDA had empirical evidence indicating that drospirenone (one of the chemicals in Yasmin/Yaz) presented added clinical risks. Additionally, the FDA advised Berlex that the advertisement made Yasmin seem superior to other contraceptives currently available.

Despite the removal of the ad and an expensive campaign to correct their mistake, Yasmin is still the top selling oral contraceptive in the nation; in 2008, Yaz accounted for 17.7% of the birth control market with sales of $616 million and Yasmin had an additional 11% of the market with $382 million in sales. Though both Yasmin and Yaz are required to carry the FDA's strongest warning label, they still present a potentially serious health risk.

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Individuals seeking information regarding Yasmin/Yaz are encouraged to visit LegalView.com for access to a wealth of resources, including developing a Yasmin/Yaz lawsuit and contacting a Yasmin/Yaz lawfirm.

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