New Lawsuit Alleging Yaz Stroke Joins Coordinated Proceedings in California

On October 19, 2012, Andrea McDade became the latest plaintiff to file a Yaz lawsuit against Bayer in the Superior Court of the State of California, Los Angeles, joining the coordinated proceedings being held there.

Plaintiff accuses Bayer of negligence and failure to warn

According to her lawsuit, on March 27, 2011, McDade suffered a stroke caused by blood clots after taking the oral contraceptive Yaz or Yasmin. She was only 33 years old at the time. McDade brings counts against manufacturer Bayer of negligence, negligent misrepresentation, failure to warn, manufacturing defect, breach of warranties, deceit by concealment, fraud and fraudulent concealment, and violation of business & professions code 17200. She is seeking compensation for past and future medical expenses, past and future mental and emotional distress, loss of earnings and/or earning capacity, and costs of suit incurred.

FDA warns of Yaz blood clots

Yaz and its predecessor Yasmin both contain drospirenone, a synthetic progestin which has been linked to the development of blood clots. An FDA-commissioned study of 835,000 women found that those who used contraceptives containing drospirenone had twice the risk of developing blood clots compared to those who used other contraceptives. Other studies have found the risk to be as high as threefold. In April 2012, the FDA required a stronger warning about the risk of blood clots to be added to the labels of oral contraceptives containing drospirenone.

In addition, a Danish study of 1.3 million women that was published in the British Medical Journal found drospirenone-containing contraceptives were linked to a sixfold increase in the risk of developing venous thromboembolism – a condition in which blood clots form in the lower leg and thigh, which can then break loose and migrate into the lungs. For more about Yaz side effects, click the link.

Yaz lawsuits

More than 12,000 lawsuits have been filed against Bayer by women who have suffered blood clots, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, or other side effects after using Yasmin or Yaz. In fact, in 2011, Yaz and Yasmin were named in more lawsuits than any other medication apart from Reglan, according to the Institute of Safe Medication Practices. Bayer has already paid out $402 million to settle a number of these lawsuits, and has set aside an additional $610.5 million to settle pending cases.

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