San Dlego, CA (PRWEB) November 13, 2013
http://www.resource4thepeople.com/defectivedrugs/yasmin.html
Resource4thePeople announced today that the latest financial report* from the manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin contraceptives shows that the company has agreed to pay out nearly $1.6 billion so far in a huge U.S. federal court multidistrict litigation.**
The figures about legal costs involving thousands of lawsuits alleging that the contraceptives have caused life-threatening blood-clotting problems 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.
"As these cases continue to be settled we are reassuring other consumers who may have been affected by these allegations that they are still eligible to seek the free consultations that our nationwide network of attorneys are offering."
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."
Further information about the progress of these lawsuits may come during an upcoming hearing before the judge who is overseeing thousands of federal Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits** in which women from across the country are alleging that the contraceptives have caused life-threatening blood-clotting issues.
Judge David R. Herndon, in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois, is scheduled to be updated at a Nov. 14, 2013 status hearing at which attorneys for the plaintiffs and those representing the drugs' manufacturer, Bayer Pharmaceuticals will brief him on the progress of the litigation.
"We encourage the resolution of cases and as this litigation progresses we will continue to offer experienced, aggressive representation on behalf of women who may have been affected by these allegations," said Resource4thePeople.
There were 9,873 Yaz and Yasmin cases before Judge Herndon as of Oct. 17, 2013, according to the latest figures** provided by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
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 before Judge Herndon, according to the court file.
These settlements are a different component of this consolidated litigation in Illinois in which plaintiffs claimed that they suffered gall bladder injuries because they used Yaz and Yasmin as contraceptives.
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 concerns raised by women’s and consumer groups center focus on the same allegations made in the Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits --- that the use of these birth control pills may pose life-threatening side effects to the women who use them,” said Resource4thePeople.
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 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.******
The CBC also reported that "According to the documents obtained from Health Canada, between 2007 and February 2013, doctors and pharmacists have reported 600 adverse reactions and 23 deaths where Yaz or Yasmin were suspected. More than half of the reported deaths were women under 26, with the youngest age 14."
The April 10, 2012 Food and Drug Administration warning about Yaz and Yasmin blood-clotting side effects based on a staff review mirrored these allegations:
“Based on this review, FDA has concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills.”
Sources:
*http://www.stockholders-newsletter-q3-2013.bayer.com/en/explanatory-notes.aspx
**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-October-17-2013.pdf
***http://www.annualreport2012.bayer.com/en/legal-risks.aspx
**** 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
******http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm299305.htm