70 Yaz Lawsuits Settled, Thousands More Pending

Written by Jenna Lee Dillon on March 19, 2012

Bayer Healthcare, manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin, has agreed settle 70 Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits. This is a good sign for those who have filed claims against Bayer; however it is just a small dent in the more than 11,000 pending lawsuits filed by women who have suffered significant, and sometimes fatal, injuries.

Warning Label Change Not Enough

We blogged in September about the FDA’s pending review of the fate of birth control pills containg the progestin drospirenone, including Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella and Beyaz. In December 2011, the committee narrowly voted (15-11) that the contraceptive benefits of Yaz and similar products currently outweigh the known risk of blood clots. This surely came as a shock to the vast community of women who have been harmed or killed by blood clots that may have been caused by drospirenone, including the roughly 11,300 who have filed suits.

The FDA committee also voted 21-5 to have the warning label on drospirenone-based birth control pills changed to reflect the blood clot risk, stating that the current warning is vague, is confusing and does not contain the most up-to-date information. This is definitely a victory for women who seek to use drospirenone-containing products in the future, but it is too late for thousands of women across the country.