New York, New York”June 13, 2012”Recent studies and post-marketing reports have indicated an increased risk of potential injuries like blood clots and related complications, such as deep vein thrombosis, stroke, and pulmonary embolism, when using Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella, or NuvaRing.
Thousands of women have already sought the advice of a NuvaRing lawyer or Yaz lawyer and have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to hold manufacturers Bayer, Teva, and Organon liable for failing to warn of the risks. Now, Bayer is negotiating settlements in the current Yaz multidistrict litigation in Illinois, so far paying about $200,000 per case according to public statements by the company.
Though all forms of hormonal contraception carry some risk of blood clots, studies have found that those containing the progestin “drospirenone,” like Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella, as well as contraceptive patches and rings, like the NuvaRing, are more likely than standard contraceptives containing levonorgestrel to increase the risk of these injuries. Two studies published in the British Medical Journal, for instance, reported a two-to-three fold greater risk of blood clots in women using oral contraceptives containing drospirenone, versus those using pills containing levonorgestrel. In addition, preliminary data from an FDA-funded epidemiology study has so far shown an approximately 1.5-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for the users of drospirenone-containing products compared to other hormonal contraceptives.
In addition, the FDA released a report in October 2011 noting that the NuvaRing was associated with a significantly higher risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli, when compared to standard low-dose estrogen birth control pills. These results agreed with a Danish study that found women using vaginal rings like the NuvaRing had a 90 percent higher risk of venous thrombosis than did women using combined oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel.
