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Justinian
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Justinian has shared their blog Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
Oct 30, 2012
In the “Medication Update” section of a 2011 edition of the medical journal The Nurse Practitioner, a warning regarding the use of drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives is made. Oral contraceptives containing drospirenone are YAZ®, Beyaz®, Safyal®, and Yazmin®. The warning reads as follows: “The FDA notified healthcare providers and patients that two newly published studies evaluating the risk of [blood clot development] in women who use oral contraceptives (OCs) containing the progestin drospirenone found a greater risk of [blood clot] associated with drospirenone-containing OCs compared with OCs that contain levonorgestrel.”[1] That increased risk of developing a blood clot was stated to... Continue reading
Posted Oct 15, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
A 2010 report by the medical journal Reactions describes the case of a 20-year-old woman, otherwise in good health, who suffered a heart attack while taking an oral contraceptive containing the chemical drospirenone, found in contraceptives such as YAZ®. The case of this woman, holding no risk factors for blood clot or heart attack other than the consumption of drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives, warranted the following comment from the author: “We consider that the use of the contraceptive pill contributed significantly to the thromboembolic event described here.”[1] (Thromboembolic event means blood clot.) Thankfully, the woman recovered.[2] Though this article does not... Continue reading
Posted Oct 15, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
A woman, aged 45 years, who had been taking a drospirenone-containing hormonal contraceptive for “5 years”[1] was admitted to a hospital “with angina,”[2] which is “chest pain or discomfort you get when your heart muscle does not get enough blood.”[3] Doctors quickly realized that the woman was having a heart attack, and after a great many procedures and drug administrations, the woman was released “after 8 days,”[4] and “in a stable condition.”[5] This woman’s doctors believed that “her use of ethinylestradiol/drospirenone was … related to the [heart attack],”[6] and eventually published an article on this in the medical journal Clinical... Continue reading
Posted Oct 15, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The findings published in a 2011 edition of Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr. Gronich (et al.) performed a wide-scope population-based study to determine whether or not oral contraceptives containing the chemical drospirenone (such as YAZ®) placed women at a higher risk of developing a blood clot than did oral contraceptives without drospirenone. For this study, the Gronich team used the digital health records databases of an Israeli healthcare provider to review 329,995 women who had not previously been diagnosed with a blood clot[1] and found that overall, the rate of blood clot development was about 6 in every 10,000 women,... Continue reading
Posted Oct 15, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The online drug reference for healthcare professionals, Monthly Prescribing Reference, published a 2011 warning to users of oral contraceptives containing the chemical drospirenone, such as YAZ®. Here is what was said: “Two studies did not report any difference in VTE risk” (VTE risk is the risk of developing a possibly-mobile deep-vein blood clot) “between drospirenone-containing products and products containing levonorgestrel or other progestins. Two publications from 2009, however, reported a 1.5- to 2-fold higher VTE risk with drospirenone-containing contraceptives as compared with levonorgestrel-containing contraceptives while two articles published in 2011 reported a 2- to 3-fold greater risk of VTE.”[1] (emphasis... Continue reading
Posted Oct 15, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
A report published in 2006 in the medical journal Clinical and Applied Thombosis/Hemostasis reviews the case of a woman, aged 36 years, who came under the care of Dr. Y. Mira, presenting deep venous thromboses (blood clots) in the “left jugular and subclavian” veins.[1] Blood clots are a very serious occurrence, possibly leading to heart attack or stroke. Because the patient had no family history of blood clotting,[2] and demonstrated no other risk factors, doctors concluded that the patient’s use of “Yazmin®,” a hormonal contraceptive containing drospirenone, known to place its users at a higher risk for the development of... Continue reading
Posted Oct 15, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
A recent study published in the journal BioMedCentral Pharmacology aimed to evaluate potential health risks posed to users of hormonal contraceptives containing drospirenone, such as YAZ®. In this report, Dr. Bird’s team studied 1,148,183 women, and found that users of drospirenone-containing contraceptives were about 10% more likely to develop hyperkalemia (a markedly-increased level of potassium in the blood) than were users of more traditional hormonal contraceptives, such as those containing levonorgestrel.[1] For those of us less aware of hyperkalemia, Bird writes that “Hyperkalemia is a potentially serious condition … manifesting as weakness, flaccid paralysis, hypoventilation, and metabolic acidosis. Hyperkalemia can... Continue reading
Posted Oct 15, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The “Drug Watch” section of the September, 2012 edition of the American Journal of Nursing includes some startling information about hormonal contraceptive drugs containing the chemical drospirenone, such as YAZ,® Beyaz®, Safyral®, and Yasmin®. Reviewing several studies comparing the relative risks of developing a blood clot for women using drospirenone-containing hormonal contraceptives versus women using other hormonal contraceptives, including one funded by the FDA itself, the American Journal of Nursing writes, “the FDA has concluded that there is an increased risk of blood clots if the contraceptive drospirenone; the increased risk may be as much as three times higher.”[1] (emphasis... Continue reading
Posted Oct 15, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The website Blisstree published “Three Years Later, The FDA Revisits Concern Over The Safety Of Yaz” on December 5th. The article discusses the marketing methodology of Bayer and the forthcoming review of Yaz by the FDA: Yaz gained popularity, mostly because it was aggressively marketed, boasting that it could not only keep you from getting pregnant, but also that it could also clear up your skin, and came with fewer side-effects than other drugs. Unfortunately, Yaz and similar pills, which contain an ingredient called drospirenone, quickly became something of a birth control pariah when young, healthy women began developing blood... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
On December 6th, The Hamilton Spectator published “Birth Control Pills Linked to Blood Clot Risk.” That article states that Health Canada (the government agency in charge of Canadian healthcare” found that “the risk of blood clots in women taking Yasmin and Yaz is between 1.5 and three times higher than other birth control pills.” The labels for Yaz and Yasmin in Canada have been updated to reflect the increased risk. Health Canada investigated the review after new studies showed an association between Yaz and Yasmin usage and injuries such as DVT’s and pulmonary embolism. I had one Canadian Yaz user... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
Drug Industry Daily reported on December 7th that David Kessler, a former FDA commissioner alleged that Bayer purposely hid safety information about Yaz from the FDA. More specifically, Kessler alleges that Bayer: Declared in 2003 in advance of its analysis there was no increased risk of VTEs; Failed to disclose that its own analysis revealed in 2004 an increased rate of VTEs compared to other oral contraceptives; Presented selective views that obscured risks posed by Yasmin and Yaz; and Failed to disclose data showing higher incidence of VTE with drospirenone compared to levonorgestrel. Those are serious allegations. If true, they... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
On December 8th, an FDA panel reviewed six conflicting studies of Yaz. Some of the studies (especially the ones funded by Bayer) found no increased risk of developing a blood clot with Yaz compared to other pills. But other studies did find an increased risk – as high as a threefold increase in some cases. The FDA panel voted 21-5 in favor of increasing the strength of the warnings on the Yaz package insert regarding the risk of blood clots and other injuries. Because this is the federal government we’re talking about, it will be several months before the new... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The Blog That Ate Manhattan has an excellent post with visual aids regarding the risk of developing a DVT while taking Yaz. As the excerpt below shows, the overall risk of developing a DVT while taking Yaz, isn’t terribly high in the grand scheme of things. But it is much higher than your risk of developing a DVT if you take another brand of pill, or don’t take a pill at all. The basis of most Yaz lawsuits is that Bayer did not adequately explain to women that the risk of developing a DVT or having a pulmonary embolism is... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The Madison County Record reported on January 12th that U.S. District Judge David Herndon (who is in charge of Yaz litigation) will hold the first Yaz trial on April 30th if good-faith mediation fails. Judge Herndon canceled a January 9th trial because the parties hoped that mediation could bring about fair Yaz settlements. Judge Herndon made it clear that his goal is to seek a swift and equitable resolution to the thousands of Yaz lawsuits currently pending – without the necessity of thousands of trials: "[A] strategy that contemplates trying thousands, even hundreds or dozens of cases of this nature... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
Just a quick note – a report from Bayer shows that they have been served with 11,300 Yasmin and Yaz lawsuits. No word as to how many of those lawsuits allege gallbladder injuries vs. the more traditional clotting injuries. But either way, that’s a lot of lawsuits for Bayer to deal with. Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
Lawyers Weekly USA reported on March 8th that Bayer has settled “about 70” of over 11,000 lawsuits regarding Yaz and Yasmin: "As of Feb. 13, 2012, Bayer had reached agreements, without admission of liability, to settle the claims of approximately 70 plaintiffs in the U.S. at terms and conditions which Bayer views to be reasonable," the company said in the legal risks section of its 2011 annual report. The terms of those settlements were not disclosed. “ The article further notes that the first Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits were scheduled to go to trial in September of 2011, but those... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
Something that confuses a lot of people is whether there is a Yaz class action lawsuit. The women who were injured by Yaz are not actually eligible to be part of a class action lawsuit. The reason why is boring and complicated, but in a nutshell the Supreme Court has held that personal injury lawsuits are not properly brought as class actions. Instead, they are brought under what is called Multi-District Litigation, or an MDL. To an injured woman, there is no real difference between an MDL or a class action – Yaz lawyers who represent her and other injured... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The April 12th edition of the International Business Times News has an article entitled “Birth Control Pills Get New FDA Warning.” That article discusses the new FDA warning for Yaz, Yasmin, and other birth control drugs that contain the synthetic hormone drospirenone. The article explains that the risk of blood clots is increased when using these drugs: For every 10,000 women who are not pregnant and do not use the pill, between one and five will develop a blood clot, the FDA said. Between three and nine out of every 10,000 women who use contraceptives will develop a blood clot,... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The pharmaceutical industry website FiercePharma reported on April 13th that Bayer will pay roughly $110 million to settle 500 Yaz lawsuits. That works out to an average settlement of $220,000 per case. To put those numbers in perspective, Yaz and Yasmin together are Bayer’s second-highest-grossing drugs, with 2010 revenue of $1.58 billion. The settlements in this article are only for women who developed blood clots while taking Yaz. Although there is evidence that Yaz can also cause gall bladder problems, Bayer is not settling those cases at this time. Instead, they are settling clotting cases. Perhaps not coincidentally, these settlements... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
Lawyers Weekly USA reported on April 18th about the updates warnings the FDA is requiring for the birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin. The article reports that some studies have shown a threefold risk of developing blood clots while taking Yaz. Partially as a result of those studies, the FDA now states that “[h]ealth care professionals should consider the risks and benefits of drospirenone-containing birth control pills and a woman’s risk for developing a blood clot before prescribing these drugs.” Drospirenone is one of the ingredients in Yaz, and is a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone. The article also... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
Injury Lawyer News reports today that another lawsuit against Bayer, the maker of Yaz, was filed on September 6th of 2012. The Yaz lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County, and alleges that misleading advertising caused the plaintiff to believe that Yaz was safe and superior to other brands of birth control. The article states that more than 1,200 women have filed Yaz lawsuits – I suspect that’s a typo as the number is actually over 12,000. Many of those lawsuits will end in a settlement. So far, Bayer has paid out over $400 million to... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
In its Stockholders’ Newsletter for the first quarter of 2012, Bayer reports that it has resolved 651 Yaz lawsuits for a total of $142 million, which averages $218,000 per settlement. No one knows the total liability Bayer will face from Yaz lawsuits, but some analysts have speculated it will top $2 billion dollars. The reason Bayer is choosing to settle so many cases is because it has some semblance of control over the process, as opposed to a jury trial, in which Bayer has no control over what a jury will do. Sometimes predictability is so important to a company... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
That’s the opinion of Stephen Salzburg, the special master in the Yaz litigation. Keystone Progress reported the following on July 6th: "So far, so good," he said of the status of the litigation. "I am cautiously optimistic that we will settle all of these cases. There are always some holdouts, but I think we will settle the bulk of these cases in the next year." The article also reports that over 1,500 Yaz lawsuits have been settled so far for an average value of $214,000. Of course, that’s an average, and “some of the more serious cases may get more... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements
The Madison County Record reported on July 24th that there have been over 9,800 Yaz lawsuits filed in federal court. The Record quotes Chief U.S. District Judge David Herndon (who is in charge of the Yaz litigation) as stating that Yaz cases “have been settling at a consistent rate.” The average amount of a settlement was reported at $214,000 dollars – that’s based on roughly 1,500 settlements and a total settlement amount of about $300 million dollars. Law professor Stephen Saltzburg predicted some time ago that more Yaz lawsuits would be filed once word of the settlements got out –... Continue reading
Posted Oct 10, 2012 at Yaz & Yasmin Lawyers & Settlements