New Lawsuit Added to Yaz MDL

The Yaz multidistrict litigation in Illinois has gained another lawsuit. The new lawsuit against Bayer, manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin, was filed on May 15, 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (East St. Louis), by Massachusetts resident Janet Mahon, and was eligible to join the MDL because there is diversity of citizenship and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.

According to the lawsuit, Mahon began using the contraceptive Yaz in November 2006. She subsequently developed blood clots from Yaz which led to a pulmonary embolism on December 14, 2009.

Her lawsuit charges that Bayer knew, or should have known, about the contraceptives’ side effects, but did not warn Mahon, her doctors, the medical community, or the public. It goes on to say that if Mahon had known of the risk of these side effects, she would not have used this contraceptive. Because of Bayer’s failure to warn, the lawsuit accuses the the drug company of defective manufacturing, inadequate warning, design defect, negligence, strict product liability, breach of express and implied warranties, and fraud and deceit. She is seeking compensation for Yaz injuries, pain and suffering, medical and legal expenses, and economic damages.

Drospirenone in Yaz and Yasmin causes numerous deadly side effects

Yasmin, which was approved by the FDA in 2001, and Yaz, which was approved in 2006, both contain drospirenone, a synthetic progestin. Drospirenone has been linked to numerous life-threatening side effects, including hyperkalemia (elevated potassium levels), blood clots, pulmonary embolism, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, gallbladder disease, kidney failure, pancreatitis, and in some cases, death. An FDA-commissioned study of 835,000 women found that women who use birth control containing drospirenone have twice the risk of blood clots as women who use other contraceptives. Follow the link for additional information on this subject.

More than 1,100 women have filed lawsuits against Bayer over side effects from Yaz. In a period of less than five years (from the first quarter of 2004 through the third quarter of 2008), the FDA received reports of 50 deaths of users of Yaz and Yasmin.

FDA voted to keep Yaz and Yasmin on the market despite risks

An FDA advisory panel voted to keep Yaz and Yasmin on the market despite the known risk of blood clots. On March 9, 2012, four women’s groups sent a joint letter to FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg protesting the decision and expressing concern that it will put women’s lives in jeopardy.

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