San Diego, CA (PRWEB) March 14, 2014
http://www.resource4thepeople.com/defectivedrugs/yasmin.html
Resource4thePeople today announced its latest update for consumers who are following the progress of thousands of lawsuits involving allegations* that the popular contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin may cause life-threatening blood-clotting problems.
"These actions were originally filed in federal courts across the country by women who, according to the allegations in the court files, suffered serious heart problems as a result of their use of these popular contraceptives," said Resource4thePeople.
"We are monitoring the progress of these lawsuits and will continue to update consumers with the latest information about these cases while our national network of attorneys continues to offer free consultations to other women interested in what legal options they may have to seek compensation."
The latest figures** compiled from official federal court records document 9,687 Yaz and Yasmin (drospirenone) lawsuits from across the country consolidated before a U.S. District Court Judge in the Southern District of Illinois.
The court file shows that the women are making common allegations that that Yaz and Yasmin (drospirenone) caused them to develop potentially fatal blood-clotting problems and they are seeking compensation for medical costs and other expenses.
Some of the lawsuits in the multidistrict litigation are being settled, according to a recent financial report*** from pharmaceutical giant Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin contraceptives. It shows that the company has agreed to pay out nearly $1.6 billion so far to settle cases in the consolidated lawsuits.
"The fact that there has been a huge amount of compensation paid by Bayer to settle many of these cases does not affect the eligibility of other women to come forward and file their own claims," said Resource4thePeople.
"Any woman who has questions about her eligibility to seek compensation in connection with the allegations involving Yaz and Yasmin is encouraged to take advantage of our consultations to determine her legal options."
The progress of the settlements was recently reported to Judge David R. Herndon and figures about legal costs involving the thousands of lawsuits were detailed in pharmaceutical giant Bayer's stockholder newsletter for the third quarter of 2013.
The massive payoffs were included in the Oct. 31, 2013 posting informing investors about the financial progress of the company, including an update of its legal costs.
"This is a huge amount of money and shows the extent of how significant the allegations about blood-clotting made by thousands of women are and how they are being compensated for a possibly fatal condition," said Resource4thePeople.
In the third quarter financial report Bayer reported the following details:
"As of October 18, 2013, Bayer had reached agreements, without admission of liability, to settle the claims of approximately 7,660 claimants in the U.S. for a total amount of about US$1.575 billion. Bayer has only been settling claims in the U.S. for venous clot injuries (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) after a case-specific analysis of medical records on a rolling basis. Such injuries are alleged by about 2,300 of the pending unsettled claimants. Bayer will continue to consider the option of settling such individual lawsuits in the U.S. on a case-by-case basis."
Bayer also has agreed to pay up to $24 million to settle other lawsuits in the multidistrict litigation involving allegations over gall bladder side effects, according to the court file in the litigation.
These settlements are a different component of this consolidated litigation in Illinois, affecting plaintiffs who claimed that they suffered gall bladder injuries because they used Yaz and Yasmin as contraceptives.
“There has been a steady increase in the number of consumers inquiring about alleged Yaz and Yasmin (drospirenone) side effects ever since the Food and Drug Administration issued a Health Warning**** about possible blood-clotting dangers," said Resource4thePeople.
FDA officials said in the April 10, 2012 Health Warning that agency officials had conducted a review and “concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills. FDA is adding information about the studies to the labels of drospirenone-containing birth control pills.”
Meanwhile, as a Sept. 15, 2013 article***** in the Chicago Tribune points out, federal officials are being asked to escalate warnings about possible blood-clotting problems associated with the contraceptives and at least one consumer non-profit organization has called for the products to be pulled from the marketplace.
The Chicago Tribune article questioned the effectiveness and safety of Yaz and Yasmin contraceptives and cited increased concern about the products from women’s groups:
“Some women's health advocates want a stronger, black-box warning that is more likely to be noticed,” the Tribune reported. “The advocacy group Public Citizen, meanwhile, has placed drugs containing drospirenone — including Yaz, Yasmin, Gianvi and Zarah — on its ‘do not use’ list because they ‘can cause increased blood levels of potassium and (are) no more effective than other oral contraceptives in preventing pregnancy.’ On the Internet, people who call themselves ‘Yaz survivors’ post accounts of their experiences."
In a related matter, the Canadian Broadcasting Company reported that physicians there are linking Yaz and Yasmin to 23 deaths. In a June 12, 2013 posting***** The CBC said that "According to documents obtained from Health Canada, doctors and pharmacists say Yaz and Yasmin are suspected in the deaths of the women, who mostly died suddenly from blood clots."
Health Canada is the Canadian equivalent to the FDA, which, on April 10, 2012, issued a Health Warning informing consumers and physicians about possible Yaz and Yasmin blood clotting side effects.******
Sources:
*In re: Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation MDL No. 2100, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
**http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending_MDL_Dockets_By_District-February-19-2014.pdf
***http://www.stockholders-newsletter-q3-2013.bayer.com/en/explanatory-notes.aspx
****http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm299305.htm
***** http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-09-15/health/ct-met-birth-control-risks-20130915_1_drospirenone-clots-pills
******http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/06/11/birth-control-pills-yaz-yasmin.html