According to the Website for the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois, consolidated federal cases related to the Yasmin line of birth control pills now number more than 10,000.
Plaintiffs in the cases are seeking legal redress against pharmaceutical giant Bayer over blood clots from the Yaz/Yasmin contraceptives.
Lawyers suing the company cite FDA reports of at least 50 deaths tied to the pills from 2004 to 2008, claiming Bayer officials marketed the contraceptives for unapproved uses and misled women about their risks.
A number of studies show that pills with the compound drospirenone – which include Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz and Ocella – carry up to three times the risk of potentially deadly blood clots compared to other oral contraceptives on the market.
In a recent newsletter, Bayer executives informed stockholders that more than 12,000 Yasmin-related lawsuits have been filed against the company. So far, Bayer has agreed to settle 1,877 of them at an average of about $212,000 a case.
The 10,000-plus cases filed in federal courts were consolidated before U.S. District Judge David Herndon, for pretrial proceedings.
Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with a Beyaz lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries while on Beyaz or similar birth control pills.
