Thursday, April 12, 2012

Status Report on Yaz Litigation

There are a number of serious injuries which have been attributed to Yaz and Yasmin.  Some of the most serious involve venous clots, which cause injuries such as pulmonary embolism, deep vein thromboses (DVT), and cerebral venous thromboembolism (CVT).  Bayer has finally been forced to recognize its failure to warn about the increased risks of these injuries, and has begun to settle these cases.  These were the first types of cases that were set for trial, and now are in the process of being resolved.  This resolution process will take at least another 6 months.

The second type of case involves arterial strokes, which are blood clots in the arteries.  So far Bayer has not yet offered to settle these cases; however we believe these cases have merit and intend to continue to pursue them to trial  if a fair settlement offer is not forthcoming.

The third type of cases are those involving pancreatitis and gall bladder injuries.  These were the next cases scheduled for trial.  We believe these cases have merit as well; however to date Bayer has not offered to resolve these cases.

Women who have suffered these injuries and have brought claims need to be patient as the litigation enters its final stages.  Your attorney will contact you as soon as there is an opportunity to discuss resolution of your claim.  If you do not have an attorney yet but have suffered pancreatitis or a blood clot while on Yaz or Yasmin, you should immediately hire an attorney in order that a claim can be brought.

It is still not too late but time is critical.  You can reach us toll free at 888-841-9623.

FDA requires Bayer to finally warn about the risks of blood clots in those taking Yaz birth control


In a victory for consumers, Yaz, Yasmin, BeYaz, Ocella and other drospirenone-containing birth control pills will finally have to announce their increased risk of blood clots.

The FDA is requiring makers of the new-generation of birth control pills to add warning labels to the prescription medications, since the risk is greater than among older pills that contain only estrogen or progesterone.

An independent study conducted by the FDA found that while even though all birth controls increase a woman’s chances of developing a blood clot, the risk is much higher from pills containing drospirenone, or DRSP. As many as 10 in 10,000 women taking pills with DRSP would get a blood clot per year, according to the FDA.

This announcement is welcomed by many, especially by the thousands of U.S. women who have suffered blood clots as a direct result of taking Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella. Many of these otherwise healthy young women have filed suit against Bayer AG, the maker of Yaz, and the lawsuits have been consolidated into Multi-District Litigation under the Honorable David J. Herndon in the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois.

"The revised drug labels will report that some epidemiologic studies reported as high as a three-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for drospirenone-containing products ... whereas other epidemiological studies found no additional risk," the FDA said in a statement.

For more information on the Yaz birth control litigation, or for answers to questions about blood clots, stroke or pulmonary embolisms while taking Yaz, contact us toll-free at 888.841.9623, email us at Anneke@ToledoLaw.com or visit www.ZKBLaw.com.