Yaz and Yasmin Lawsuits
As of December 2009, more than 150 lawsuits have been filed on behalf of women who suffered serious or fatal injuries after using Yaz or Yasmin birth control pills. These lawsuits have alleged that Bayer Corp.—the manufacturer of both products—failed to alert women of the increased risk of potential side effects of Yaz or Yasmin, including blood clots, pulmonary embolism or gallbladder disease.
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.
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.
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.