Dallas Yaz attorney reports on recent news of Bayer settlement of 500 Yaz lawsuits.

On April 12, 2012, Bayer announced that it will be settling an estimated 500 lawsuits, all alleging injuries from Yaz blood clots.

Yaz Blood Clots Require Label Update
Yaz and Yasmin, both manufactured by Bayer, are new generation birth control pills that contain the synthetic hormone drospirenone. Recent studies have linked drospirenone to an increased risk of blood clots, which can cause heart attacks and strokes if not treated in time. A study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that the risk of blood clots in women taking Yaz or Yasmin is an estimated three times higher than that of women taking older generation hormonal birth control pills.

Earlier this week, the FDA announced that Bayer would have to add a blood clot warning to its drug labels for Yaz and Yasmin. The label will include results of studies finding that the risk of blood clots is tripled for women who take Yaz and Yasmin.

Yaz Lawsuits Will Continue
Women across the United States have filed thousands of Yaz lawsuits against the German manufacturer, claiming it failed to warn and even misled women about the increased blood clot risk. And despite the FDA’s findings about the risk of blood clots, Yaz and Yasmin will remain on the U.S. market.

In 2010 alone, Bayer made an estimated $1.58 billion in sales of Yaz and Yasmin, its second highest selling drugs. And Yasmin remains one of the top hormonal birth control pills in the United States, controlling 4.6 percent of the U.S. market share.
An estimated 50 deaths were linked to Yaz or Yasmin between 2004 and 2008.

Some Yaz Lawsuits to be Mediated
At least 11,000 Yaz lawsuits have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court of East St. Louis, Illinois, currently being presided over by U.S. District Judge David Herndon. The Honorable Judge Herndon called for mediation between the parties, appointing Stephen Saltzburg, a professor of law at George Washington University, to serve as the mediator.

Bayer would not say how many cases had in fact been settled, but released a statement saying “Bayer will continue to consider the option of settling individual lawsuits in the U.S. on a case-by-case basis.”

Yaz Blood Clot Risk
If you are taking Yaz, Yasmin, or a generic version of these drugs, you may want to talk with your doctor about switching to another form of birth control. Otherwise, you should know the symptoms of a blood clot so that you can receive treatment right away. For more information on Yaz blood clot symptoms, read our article “Health Concerns over the Use of Yaz & Yasmin.”

If you or a loved one suffered a blood clot while taking Yaz or Yasmin, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Call Dallas Yaz attorney Kay Van Wey today at (214) 329-1350 or (800) 489-5082 to learn more about bringing a Yaz lawsuit.