Yasmin Settlements: $142 Million Paid Out in First Round of Lawsuits

Bayer has announced that the giant pharmaceutical manufacturer has paid out $142 million in the first round of Yasmin lawsuits. According to Bloomberg, 651 cases have been settled where patients alleged that the contraceptive carries a significant risk of causing possibly fatal blood clots. The payouts average around $218,000 per case. The only claims being currently settled by Bayer are claims in the U.S. for venous clot injuries (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism), leaving the majority of around 12,000 lawsuits yet to be acted upon.

A report by the FDA in the fall linked birth control pills containing drospirenone to blood clots...

On April 10th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered Bayer and other oral contraceptive makers to include stronger blood-clot warnings on the labeling of their drugs. Many lawsuits claim that the contraceptive was marketed for unapproved uses (such as acne relief and mood improvement) and that women were misled from the considerable risks posed by the drug. Manufactured by the German company Bayer HealthCare, Yasmin was approved in 2001 and Yaz was approved by the FDA in 2006. As of September, Yasmin was the fourth most used oral contraceptive in the United States. The two contraceptives are very similar, but Yaz packets contain a few more pills containing drospirenone than Yasmin. From 2004 to 2008, at least 50 deaths have been linked to these two contraceptives.

A report by the FDA in the fall linked birth control pills containing drospirenone to blood clots, including popular drugs Yaz and Yasmin. According to CBS News, the study analyzed the medical histories of over 800,000 women taking birth control pills between 2001 and 2007. The results of the study indicated that women taking a pill with drospirenone had a 74% greater chance of experiencing a blood clot than those taking other pills. While older pills only led to 6 blood clots per 10,000 users, the new versions appear to translate to about 10 cases per 10,000 per year.

The settlement of a fraction of the many lawsuits leveled against Bayer illustrates the considerable risks posed by Yaz and Yasmin. Blood clots can pose serious risks to the health of patients, leading to debilitating injuries, prolonged required treatment, hospitalization, and possible death. If you or a loved one has experienced blood clots, a heart attack, or a stroke while or after taking birth control pills containing drospirenone, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer. Contact a Yasmin blood clot lawyer by completing the form on the right to see if you might be eligible to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.