Yaz, Bayer Healthcare’s popular birth control pill, has been blamed for causing several pulmonary emboli that nearly killed a 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl. The young woman’s mother has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Bayer on her daughter’s behalf, alleging that Yaz was responsible for her daughter’s severe and lasting injuries.
More than 100 lawsuits have been filed by women across the United States who claim they suffered strokes, pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis, blood clots, gallbladder disease, and other serious injuries after taking Yaz, or its precursor, Yasmin. On October 1, 2009, all Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits pending in federal court were consolidated for centralized and coordinated pre-trial proceedings in the Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois before Judge Herndon (MDL No. 2100).
Yaz and Yasmin are both made with a type of progestin called drospirenone, making them different from many other oral contraceptives. Drospirenone can elevate the body’s potassium levels, which can lead to a condition called hyperkalemia in certain patients. Hyperkalemia may result in potentially serious heart and health problems. Adverse Events reported to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) involving Yaz and Yasmin include heart arrhythmias, electrolyte imbalance, hyponatremis, hyperkalemia, hyperkalemic arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, bradycardia, myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischemic attack, blood clots, embolisms, and sudden death.
Yaz is the top-selling oral contraceptive in the U.S. Last year, Yaz and Yasmin generated about $1.8 billion for Bayer. Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits allege that these sales were achieved through a marketing campaign that presented the medications as more than mere birth control pills, and touted them as treatments for premenstrual dysphoric disorder, premenstrual syndrome and moderate acne. Bayer and the other defendants named in the complaints have been warned at least three times by the FDA over misleading television advertisements which overstate the efficiency of Yaz or Yasmin and minimize serious risks associated with the drugs
According to this latest Yaz lawsuit, the 16-year-old plaintiff was in perfect health when she began taking Yaz. While taking the medication, the young woman suffered several pulmonary emboli, which obstructed her pulmonary artery and caused her to suffer cardiac arrest. According to her mother, the girl was dead for nearly three minutes before doctors at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh were able to save her life.
The Yaz lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia County.
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