Charleston Yaz Injury Lawyer

New prescription medications are supposed to be tested extensively before they are marketed to the public. Testing is where side effects are identified. However, despite the fact that drugs are to be thoroughly tested before being sold to consumers, many have made it into the marketplace and have caused untold grief and harm.

Pharmaceutical companies make enormous amounts of money from creating and selling drugs that claim to help consumers and make them feel better. The only way to get a drug to market is to get it approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the testing component is still left up to the drug companies and that has been known to cause ethical problems such as not reporting adverse effects to the FDA, downplaying data that does not look good for the company or the new drug, and running a study for far too short a period of time to accurately assess if the drug being testing has issues.

Yaz and other derivatives are currently being made and marketed by Bayer Healthcare and Barr Laboratories, who make a generic version of Yasmin. Yasmin and Ocella have been marketed in the United States since 2008 by Teva Pharmaceuticals. These drugs are also used for the treatment of osteoporosis, menopause and moderate acne.

YAZ and other similar contraceptives

Yaz and other fourth generation contraceptive pills are known by many names. What makes them stand out as different is the presence of drospirenone combined with ethinyl estradiol. Traditional oral contraceptives do not contain drospirenone.

The new progestogen hormones, drospirenone, desogestrel and/or gestodene have double the risk of venous thrombotic events than women on pills containing the older progestogen levonorgestrel. It is a good idea to read the label on any contraceptives prescribed to see how they may affect you.

The following fourth-generation pills contain drospirenone:

• Loryna
• Safyral
• Gianvi
• Zarah
• Syeda
• Beyaz
• Ocella
• Yasmin
• Yaz

YAZ side effects

• Severe Vaginal Bleeding
• Tiredness/Weakness
• Vaginal Irritation, Discharge
• Changes in Vision
• Severe Allergic Reactions
• Difficulty Breathing
• Chest Tightening
• Fainting
• Rashes
• Hives
• Blood Clots
• Strokes
• Kidney Failure
• Gallbladder disease/removal
• Hyperkalemia (due to high potassium levels caused by drospirenone)
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Arterial thrombotic events
• Heart Attacks
• Pulmonary Embolisms
• Thromboembolic events
• Hepatic neoplasia
• Hypertension

The story of Yaz

Yasmin was approved for use in the United States in 2001. Yaz received approval in 2006. Yaz and Yasmin are made with estrogen and progestin, which is where the similarities with other birth control pills end. Yasmin contains 30 mcg of ethinyl estradiol and Yaz contains 20 mcg. Additionally, the drugs are made with a new type of the hormone progestin called drospirenone. Drospirenone was never marketed in the United States until 2001.

Interestingly, by 2003 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to the previous makers of Yasmin and Yaz, Berlex Laboratories (bought by Bayer Healthcare), to halt their T.V. advertising and related promo materials because they were considered to be misleading. The FDA said the advertising overstated the safety and efficacy of the pills by suggesting that the progestin drospirenone made the pills better chemically. The FDA did not agree with the statements and added they were aware of the clinical risk associated with drospirenone. Bayer, the new owners of Berlex continued the ads despite the FDA warning.

Eventually, Bayer Healthcare corrected Yaz advertising, but by that time it was hitting a sales high of $616 million for one of the most popular birth control pills in the country. At the same time women were starting to file lawsuits alleging injuries from taking Yaz. In 2009 there were initially 129 Yaz/Yasmin lawsuits filed. By 2010 approximately 1,100 and by 2011 over 4,000 women filed suits and the numbers kept increasing.

Despite FDA concerns and warnings, the agency did not call for Yaz and related birth control pills to be taken off the market.  

What the lawsuits allege:

• That Bayer did not do due diligence researching the medication
• That Bayer downplayed the risks of their pills while overstating the benefits to entice more women to use their products, which they stated were safe
• That Bayer did not recall the drug even after a post-marketing report showed the life-threatening side effect of the drugs

The Steinberg Law Firm understands what it takes to make a solid defective drug case that results in fair and equitable compensation for you. Call us today for your free consultation and learn about your legal rights. Call The Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800 as soon as possible to tell us your story.

Defective drug lawsuits, and/or personal injury lawsuits, are complex. Making sure you have an experienced Yaz/Yasmin lawyer from the Steinberg Law Firm makes certain you do not face any potential pitfalls.

Our initial consultation is confidential and completely free of charge. You pay nothing to speak to a lawyer about your case. We understand that the claims process can be difficult, and the paperwork can really pile up. Our attorneys can help you understand the details of your case, your legal rights, and how to get the compensation and justice you deserve.