Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella Side Effects Lawsuit
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Keywords: Yaz Yasmin Ocella Side Effects Birth Control Injury Attorney Lawyer Lawsuit
Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella birth control pills may cause life-threatening side effects. Users have suffered blood-clots, heart attacks, strokes, and death, among other injuries. These popular birth control pills were promoted by a false and misleading advertising campaign by the drugs' manufacturers. Lawsuits are being filed across the country to compensate victims of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella side effects. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation evaluation of your claim and to protect your legal rights.
What are the dangerous side effects of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella?
Yaz, its predecessor Yasmin, and its generic brand Ocella are the only birth control pills that contain a "fourth generation" progestin called drospirenone. Drospirenone poses health risks not present in other forms of progestin. Specifically, drospirenone causes an increase in potassium levels in the blood. If potassium levels become too high, users can develop a condition known as hyperkalemia.
Hyperkalemia disrupts normal heart rhythms, which can lead to blood-clots, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, and strokes. Other health problems associated with drospirenone include deep vein thrombosis, cardiac arrhythmias, kidney failure, and seizures.
Between 2004 and 2008, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received over 50 reports of death among users of Yaz and Yasmin. In many of the fatal cases, elevated potassium levels were present. Hundreds of reports of injuries and death have been filed with the FDA, but the actual number of users who have suffered severe side effects remains unkown.
False and misleading advertising for Yaz and Yasmin.
On July 10, 2003, the FDA issued a warning letter to Berlex Laboratories, the original manufacturer and distributor of Yasmin. The FDA reprimanded Berlex for its television advertisements for Yasmin. In the ads, Berlex claimed that Yasmin's unique chemistry made the drug safer and more effective than other birth control pills. The FDA warned Berlex that these claims were false and raised significant public health and safety concerns.
On October 3, 2008, the FDA issued another warning letter, this time to Bayer Healthcare over its marketing of Yaz. The FDA warned that two of Bayer's television ads were false and misleading. The ads again overstated the efficacy of the drug and failed to disclose the increased health risks posed by drospirenone. In addition, the FDA found that Bayer sought to broaden use of the pill to include treatment of PMS symptoms. When the FDA originally approved Yaz for sale, however, the FDA explicitly stated that Yaz was not approved for treatment of PMS symptoms.
In March of 2009, the FDA warned Bayer over its internet advertisements for Yaz. This time, Bayer's advertisement for Yaz failed to disclose any risks whatsoever. The FDA found this failure particularly concerning since the FDA previously required that Yaz include a Boxed Warning. A Boxed Warning is the FDA's strongest safety label and is required when the risks posed by a drug can cause serious adverse health effects. The 2009 internet ads also implied that Yaz could benefit all patients with acne, even though the drug was only approved for the treatment of moderate acne vulgaris in a limited patient population.
These advertisements helped Yaz and Yasmin become the most popular birth control pills in the United States. In 2008, sales of Yaz totaled $616 million, while sales of Yasmin reached $383 million. In February of 2009, Bayer spent $20 million on a corrective ad campaign to correct the false statements of its previous advertisements. This information came too late for many victims.
Do I have a case?
Our experienced attorneys will give you a free, no-obligation evaluation of your claim. Contact us today from anywhere in the United States for a confidential review of your case. Complete our online form or call 1-888-545-1660.
Additional information on Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella
FDA warning letter (7/10/03) (PDF)
FDA warning letter (10/3/2008) (PDF)
FDA warning letter (3/26/09) (PDF)
A Birth Control Pill That Promised Too Much (The New York Times)
Additional information on Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella Side Effects Lawsuit
