Yaz Generic Launched Despite Safety Concerns

Watson Pharmaceuticals announced January 18, 2012 that it has launched a generic version of the popular birth control pill Yaz. The announcement comes as an estimated 10,000 lawsuits have been filed across the country by women who allege that the drug caused them blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes.

The new drug is being marketed as Vestura and contains the same active ingredients found in Yaz, including drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Recent studies have linked drospirenone, a synthetic hormone, to a higher risk of blood clots. In fact, a study conducted by the FDA found that Yaz, Yasmin, and their generics increase the risk that a woman will get a blood clot by as a much as 75 percent.

In December 2011, a panel of experts gathered before the FDA to determine whether Yaz and Yasmin were safe to keep on the market. The panel concluded that the pills would need a stronger warning, but that their benefits outweighed the risk of blood clots.

Despite the recent safety concerns with the drug, Yaz and its generic versions generated $510 million in sales last year alone. Vestura has been approved to prevent pregnancy and treat moderate acne in women and girls 14 and over.

If you or a loved one suffered a blood clot, heart attack, or stroke while taking Yaz, Yasmin, or another birth control pill that contains drospirenone, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury. Call experienced Yaz injury attorney Kay Van Wey today at (214) 329-1350 or (800) 489-5082.