NuvaRing Blood-Clotting Lawsuit Allegations Update: Resource4thePeople Reports More Cases Assigned to Multidistrict Litigation
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 15, 2013 -- http://www.resource4thepeople.com/defectivedrugs/nuvaring.html
The latest consumer update was announced today by Resource4thePeople in connection with state and federal lawsuits alleging that women who used the popular contraceptive NuvaRing suffered serious blood-clotting side effects.
The newest development involves the assigning of five more cases to a multidistrict litigation involving over 1,000 lawsuits alleging that the IUD caused serious health problems for women who used them as their choice of contraception.
The ruling came in an order* from the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation which found that the cases make similar allegations to those already consolidated in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri.
"This order shows that even more NuvaRing lawsuits alleging that serious, life-threatening blood-clotting problems are being suffered by women continue to be filed in our courts across the country," said Resource4thePeople.
"Because we are still receiving a large number of consumer inquiries about what legal options there are to seek compensation over such alleged side effects our national network of experienced attorneys will continue to offer free consultations in such cases."
In ordering the transfer to the consolidated action the Joint Panel made the following finding:
"After considering all argument of counsel, we find these actions involve common questions of fact with the actions previously transferred to MDL No. 1964, and that transfer will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation.
"Moreover, transfer is warranted for reasons set out in our order directing centralization. In that order, we held that the Eastern District of Missouri was an appropriate Section 1407 forum for actions sharing factual questions arising from alleged injuries from the NuvaRing hormonal contraceptive product."
The cases that have been consolidated before Missouri U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel involve common allegations that are summed up on the court’s multidistrict litigation web site and include the following language:
“NuvaRing is a prescription contraceptive device used by women throughout the United States. The individual plaintiffs in this matter claim that use of NuvaRing caused them injuries. They have filed suit in several state and federal courts alleging that the manufacturer of NuvaRing failed to adequately warn of the risks associated with the use of the product, and/or that the NuvaRing product is otherwise defective and unreasonably dangerous.” **
The information on the web site was posted after the Judicial Panel consolidated the NuvaRing cases on August 22, 2008, and transferred the cases to Judge Sippel to conduct pretrial evidence-gathering for all of the cases.
The first bellwether trial from the pool of federal lawsuits involving claims that the NuvaRing puts women at higher risk of suffering blood clots than other contraceptives has been scheduled to begin in October.
The number of federal NuvaRing allegation lawsuits consolidated before Judge Sippel has climbed to 1,163, according to the latest statistics compiled by the United States Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation.***
In addition, over 200 such state court cases are under the supervision of a judge in New Jersey Superior Court, where another multidistrict litigation**** is underway.
“These figures demonstrate that there are large numbers of women who have allegedly suffered life-threatening blood-clotting problems as a result of their use of the popular contraceptive NuvaRing and are exercising their legal options,” said Resource4thePeople.
Named as defendants in this litigation are Organon Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Organon International Inc. and Schering-Plough Corp., who, according to the court file, allegedly falsely marketed and sold the NuvaRing as a safe, efficient alternative to birth control pills.
The allegations cited in the multidistrict litigation claim that the NuvaRing, described by company officials as the first hormonal IUD, puts women at risk of suffering blood clots that can lead to life-threatening health problems because of the hormone mixture that prevents pregnancies.
The NuvaRing was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001 after being created by Organon as a flexible IUD, or ring, hence the name. The IUD releases a low dose of etonogestrel and estrogen over three weeks, providing women the flexibility of a monthly contraceptive.
On Oct. 27, 2011 the FDA released the findings of government research that put women who used the NuvaRing or other IUDs with a similar mixture of hormones at a 56 percent higher risk of suffering blood clotting that led to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms than women on birth control pills.*****
Resource4thePeople also notes that NuvaRing has now posted a warning about the increased risks of suffering blood clots on the company’s web site under the heading of “IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION."******
Here is the warning:
"The use of combination oral contraceptives is associated with increased risks of several serious side effects, including blood clots, stroke, or heart attack. NuvaRing is not for women with a history of these conditions. The risk of getting blood clots may be greater with the type of progestin in NuvaRing than with some other progestins in certain low-dose birth control pills."
Sources:
*http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-1964-Tag-Along_Transfer-05-13.pdf
**In re: NuvaRing Products Liability Litigation, No. 08-md-1964, JPML, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
***http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending%20MDL%20Dockets_By%20District_May-14-2013.pdf
****In Re NuvaRing Litigation, Docket No. BER-L-3081-09, Bergen County, New Jersey Superior Court
*****http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM277384.pdf FDA Oct. 27, 2011
******http://www.nuvaring.com/Consumer/index.asp
Bill Callahan, iLawSuit, 858 602-2749, [email protected]
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