Yaz Yasmin (Drospirenone)

Ryan Bradley | February 20, 2014 | Expertise Areas \ Product Defect

Yaz and Yasmin are forms of oral birth control pills that use a relatively new synthetic progestin called drospirenone in combination with an older estrogen called ethinylestradiol. When they were new, Yaz and Yasmin were thought to be an improvement over older formulations, in part because drospirenone mimics natural progesterone more closely. However, several studies have turned up evidence that Yaz and Yasmin pose a higher risk of blood clots &mdash: which can lead to stroke and heart and lung problems. For that reason, manufacturer Bayer is facing thousands of Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits across the United States, including many filed by Missouri Drug Recall Attorneys.

Some studies have shown no difference in blood clots, a known side effect of birth control pills, between Yasmin and Yaz and older birth control formulations. However, a U.S. study found in 2009 that women taking the two drugs had twice the risk of nonfatal blood clots of women taking the older drugs. That study called on doctors not to make Yasmin or Yaz their first choice. Another study from Great Britain made the same call after it found that women taking the drugs were three times as likely to be treated for blood clots than those on older birth control pills. In late 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said its own ongoing study of Yaz and Yasmin had already found an increased incidence of blood cloits.

Blood clots (venous thrombosis) can lead to life-threatening medical conditions. A blood clot in deep veins, such as the pelvis or thigh, can migrate into other body parts, causing pain and reduced circulation. Blood clots that migrate to the lungs can create a medical emergency called a pulmonary embolism, which causes shortness of breath or rapid breathing, chest pain, collapse and sudden death. As a result, anything that raises the risk of blood clots is very serious, especially in relatively healthy women who are not otherwise at high risk.

Bayer already faces more than 6,000 failure to warn lawsuits over Yaz and Yasmin in the United States alone, and more are expected. One high-profile case involved a college student who simply died on her way to a class after taking a drospirenone birth control pill for six months for acne. Both drugs have lost popularity since the negative studies emerged, but made sales higher than $300 million at their peak. To make matters worse, the FDA has accused Bayer of misleading the public with television commercials that pitched benefits that were not FDA-approved, such as acne control, while downplaying the risks. Some Missouri Yaz lawyers make this kind of misleading marketing allegation, as well as allegations that Bayer failed to adequately research Yasmin and Yaz and failed to warn patients about their risks.

Based in St. Louis, E. Ryan Bradley represents women and families around the state who have suffered a blood clot and related health problems because of Yaz or Yasmin use. Birth control pills are very common among women of childbearing age, who may take them to control acne or hormonal disturbances as well as their fertility. Like all patients, women taking birth control pills have a right to clear warnings about the risks they face. Nonetheless, there’s evidence that Bayer has taken steps to downplay the risks of Yasmin and Yaz while promoting it for unapproved uses. Our Missouri Yaz lawyers help clients who were harmed by this failure to warn hold the manufacturer legally responsible and collect fair compensation for their injuries, illness and pain and suffering.

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