Yaz and Yasmin Lawsuits
In February 2012, Bayer Pharmaceuticals—the manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin—revealed that the company was facing more than 11,000 lawsuits filed on behalf of women who were injured after using the birth control pills. Bayer has reported spending over $400 million so far in settlements for nearly 1,900 cases where women allege that the birth control pills caused blood clots. Drug industry analysts predict that the manufacturer will pay approximately $2.4 billion to resolve all of their Yaz and Yasmin cases.
Yasmin and Yaz lawsuits have alleged that Bayer falsely represented the safety of these products while improperly marketing them for conditions other than birth control. In 2008, the FDA forced Bayer to begin a $20 million advertising campaign after the company advertised Yaz for conditions that it was not approved to treat—including acne and PMS symptoms—while downplaying its risk of side effects.
Studies have found that birth control pills like Yaz and Yasmin containing the hormone drospirenone (DRSP) are twice as likely to cause blood clots as other birth control products. This increased blood clot risk could place women who use Yaz or Yasmin at risk of other serious and potentially fatal side effects, including heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism. Since 2004, the Food and Drug Administration has received reports of more than 50 deaths among women who used Yaz or Yasmin.
Yaz and Yasmin may also cause serious injuries to the kidney or gallbladder. Women who have taken these products may experience side effects such as gallbladder disease, kidney stones, kidney infections or hyperkalemia as a result of the diuretic effects of drospirenone. Some women who have used Yaz or Yasmin were forced to undergo gallbladder removal surgery as a result of their injuries.
The FDA has announced that it is conducting an investigation of Yaz and Yasmin to determine the side effects risk of the two birth control products. So far, the agency has not announced plans to recall Yaz or Yasmin.