Marisol Touraine, France’s health minister, is petitioning the European Union to restrict the use of third- and fourth-generation birth control pills such as Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella because of potential health risks. The French government announced in January that it will stop reimbursing prescription costs for contraceptives as more and more French women report injuries, according to a report by Reuters news service.
European Medicines Agency Says Yaz Use Doubles Risk
The European Medicines Agency, the EU equivalent of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, has reported that women who use the newer third- and fourth-generation contraceptives such as Bayer Healthcare’s Yaz and Yasmin and Teva Pharmaceutical’s Ocella (a generic version of Yasmin) have double the risk of suffering blood clots.
Unlike earlier generations of birth control pills, these newer oral contraceptives contain ethinyl estradiol (EE) and progestin drospirenone (DRSP) – which have been associated with dangerous side effects such as:
- Cerebrovascular accidents
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Heart attack
- Pulmonary embolism
- Stroke.
Numerous Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella injuries and deaths have been reported around the globe, and manufacturers have begun to pay dearly over what they originally touted as the birth control products of the future. In fact, these newer-generation drugs were marketed to younger women suggesting that they would experience less weight gain and acne issues.
Bayer Defending Thousands Of Lawsuits
Bayer is defending thousands of Yaz and Yasmin injury lawsuits in the United States and may soon be doing the same in France as nearly 2.5 million French women use these drugs. The pharmaceutical giant has already agreed to pay $750 million to settle nearly 3,500 lawsuits. Approximately 4,000 additional lawsuits are pending, and the company recently reported that it set aside another $200 million in the third quarter of 2012 – which many believe is also for settlement purposes.
If you’ve been injured by Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella, contact the The Driscoll Firm, LLC, to discuss your situation, determine whether you might be entitled to compensation and decide if filing a lawsuit might be in your best interests.
