• Bayer

Blood clots, gallbladder disease, heart attack and stroke are four of the main adverse side effects thousands of women, their doctors, and legal representatives claim are caused by the drugs Yaz and Yasmin and their generic equivalents. In many pharmaceutical cases, when massive evidence piles up in the form of lawsuits for a company, the company in question often removes the drug from the market and halts its distribution.

Yet Bayer continues pushing sales of the controversial birth control pills while lawsuits against the company rise above 4,000. By the time the first trial begins in September 2011, some legal experts claim the total of suits filed could reach up to 30,000.

Meanwhile, Bayer took the same ingredients as Yaz and Yasmin and re-released them with the FDA’s permission. The new form of the old pills is called Beyaz. The pill is considered a new product because of the addition of a folate supplement, which is said to help prevent birth defects should a customer using the pill accidentally still get pregnant.

A Squidoo article mentioned, “Bayer is using its financial resources to vigorously defend itself against the claims that its contraceptive causes an increased risk of the more serious side effects. And despite the growing number of lawsuits it is managing to hold on to this strategy.” As the number of lawsuits rises, Bayer’s profits and marketing campaigns rise with them.

Lawyers in the Yaz lawsuits hope to demonstrate that Bayer knew about the increased risks involved with Yaz and Yasmin when compared to other available options on the market, and that the company failed to adequately warn consumers.

World Radio Switzerland did a brief report on Yaz and Yasmin, which alleges that a 32-year-old ended up with wounded lungs and brain. The article notes further that a woman died in earlier in 2010 in connection with taking the risky birth control pills.

References:

Health Express Staff Writer. (October 18, 2010) “New Yasmin contraceptive developed.” Retrieved on November 5, 2010 from Health Express.

James, Jason. (November 2010) “Yaz Lawsuit Settlement.” Retrieved on November 5, 2010 from Squidoo.

WRS Staff Writer. (November 4, 2010) “Birth control pill scare flares up.” Retrieved on November 5, 2010 from World Radio Switzerland.