Four Women File Yaz DVT Lawsuit in California

A lawsuit has been filed against Bayer Healthcare, in which four women allege the company’s Yaz birth control pill caused deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is the latest Yaz DVT lawsuit to accuse Bayer of failing to warn consumers of the risks associated with the product. The lawsuit was filed on April 30, 2013 in the Los Angeles Superior Court.

All four women say they suffered DVT as a result of taking Yaz. Two of them also suffered a pulmonary embolism. According to court documents, Bayer allegedly knew or should have known of the increased risk of heart problems caused by Yaz, one of the most popular combined oral contraceptives on the market. A Yaz side effects lawyer is seeking damages on behalf of the women.

Bayer produces two birth control pills containing the progestin drospirenone, a synthetic compound that prevents ovulation. Both Yaz and Yasmin have attracted criticism from doctors, and Bayer has been subject to a number of warnings and an FDA fine for using misleading marketing tactics.

The Yaz side effects lawyer working on the recent Yaz DVT lawsuit points to a range of side effects suffered by women who have taken the pill, including:

• Cramping
• Nausea
• Kidney disorders
• Gallbladder disease
• Blood clot complications

FDA conducted 2012 review

The FDA reviewed all progestin-based contraceptives – including Yaz and Yasmin – in May 2012, in order to establish the frequency and seriousness of any side effects. They found that the most serious side effect was the development of blood clots leading to venous thromboembolism (VTE), a condition where clots travel from the arms and legs to the heart and lungs.

The FDA also fined Bayer for using “misleading marketing tactics.” The pill’s advertising campaign intimated that Yaz was a cure-all treatment for a wide variety of menstrual complaints, including PMS and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

The controversy surrounding Yaz has been keenly felt in Europe. After a major lawsuit that ended in an undisclosed settlement figure for the plaintiff, French pharmacists stopped reimbursing patients for prescription costs. Manufacturing violations at a Yaz plant in Germany prompted the FDA to warn Bayer about their quality control.

Yaz DVT lawsuit is one of thousands

The latest Yaz DVT lawsuit to be filed is just one of thousands pending. The high number of prescriptions written for Yaz suggest there will be many more lawsuits filed over the coming months. Bayer has already settled over 3000 lawsuits in the U.S.

Compensation worth more than $750 million has been paid to women via Yaz lawsuit settlements.

Dutch study confirms link between Yaz and VTE

In 2011, the British Medical Journal published a study on Yaz, Yasmin and other drospirenone-based contraceptives, conducted over a number of years in the Netherlands. The study looked at the risk of VTE in women on drospirenone compared with those on levenorgestrel, an older, more established type of progestin.

Data was collected from more than a million women between 2001 and 2008. More than 3,000 confirmed cases of VTE were diagnosed during the course of the research. The results showed that women taking drospirenone may double their risk for VTE compared to their levenorgestrel counterparts.

Women who believe they have suffered harm from Bayer’s birth control pills are advised to consult a qualified Yaz side effects lawyer to learn about the pros and cons of pursuing compensation via litigation.