Five Plaintiffs File Yaz Deep Vein Thrombosis Lawsuit in Illinois

Five women have joined together to file a Yaz deep vein thrombosis lawsuit in Illinois. The plaintiffs all allege use of the oral contraceptives Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella led to a potentially life-threatening condition known as deep vein thrombosis. The women add their complaint to more than 11,000 other federal cases against Yaz manufacturer Bayer. All these cases have been coordinated into multidistrict litigation in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois, for the sake of streamlining early trial proceedings. The cases involve side effects including blood clots, heart irregularities, and sudden death.

The women in this complaint were prescribed Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella, the generic form of Yaz, and took the drug for approximately one year before developing blood clots and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Upon diagnosis, the women underwent medical treatment, including the administration of blood thinning drugs and ongoing monitoring for further complications. Some of the plaintiffs have also undergone medical procedures as a result of their blood clots and remain on medication to this day, according to the complaint.

About Yaz blood clots

The FDA approved Yasmin in 2001 and Yaz in 2006, as an option for women seeking oral contraception. These birth control pills introduced a new ingredient to the sphere of oral contraception; a synthetic progestin known as drospirenone. The progestin is designed to work with estrogen to prevent conception in women taking the drug. However, research conducted on drospirenone showed an increased risk of side effects like heart arrhythmias, blood clots, and pulmonary embolism, which may be life threatening for some women.

Deep vein thrombosis, the condition that all five of these plaintiffs allege, is another side effect associated with drospirenone. Deep vein thrombosis is characterized by the formation of blood clots in deep veins of the body. The condition is serious because the blood clots may break loose from their original position and travel through the bloodstream to other areas of the body. If the blood clot reaches vital organs like the heart, brain or lungs, the result may be a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism.

Treatment for deep vein thrombosis typically begins with the administration of blood thinning medications to prevent blood clots from growing larger. However, these medications also carry risks, including uncontrollable bleeding. Regular monitoring is essential to ensure the patient continues to receive the right dosing of the medication. All of the plaintiffs in this Yaz deep vein thrombosis lawsuit claim they have been prescribed medication and undergo regular monitoring for their condition.

If blood thinning medications are not sufficient, physicians may also treat deep vein thrombosis with additional medication or medical procedures. Thrombolytics, which are administered intravenously, may be used to break up clots that have already formed. A filter may also be inserted into the large vein in the abdomen to prevent clots in the legs from traveling upward to vital organs like the lungs and heart. These treatments also carry a degree of risk and require ongoing medical monitoring afterward.

Yaz side effects and the FDA

Between 2004 and 2008, the FDA received more than 50 reports of deaths, some in women as young as 17, associated with the use of Yaz and Yasmin.

In April, 2012, the FDA revised the warning label for these oral contraceptives, indicating there was a higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with these drugs than birth control pills containing other types of progestins. VTE is a disease that includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; two conditions associated with drospirenone. Physicians and women considering these oral contraceptives are now urged by the FDA to consider the potential risks prior to taking the drugs.

Unfortunately, this warning came too late for the plaintiffs in this Yaz deep vein thrombosis lawsuit, who took the birth control pills between 2004 and 2010. All of them were diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis between 2005 and 2011. The plaintiffs allege they took the drugs based on claims by Bayer that the oral contraceptives were safe and effective. According to the Yaz lawsuit, however, Bayer failed to warn the medical community and consumers about the potential risks of the drugs.

The plaintiffs in this complaint, represented by a Yaz lawyer, are now seeking compensatory, punitive, exemplary and statutory damages from Bayer, in an amount to be determined at the time of trial.