Chicago, ILSome medications are so different that despite treating similar conditions they have nothing in common. Other medications are so similar they get lumped into the same lawsuits. Such a situation has occurred with Beyaz side effects and other birth control side effects lawsuits. Beyaz, Yasmin and Yaz are so similar in composition and reported side effects, that some lawsuits combine two or three of them into one claim.
One such lawsuit is Christie Marshman v. Bayer Pharma AG (case number 3:09-md-2100-DHRP-CJP, US District Court, Southern District of Illinois). In that case, the court filings refer to “Yaz/Yasmin/Beyaz” as a group. All three drugs are combination oral contraceptives made by Bayer.
Combination oral contraceptives are birth control pills that contain both an estrogen and a progestin component. In all three cases, the estrogen component is ethinyl estradiol and the progestin is drospirenone. Drospirenone has been linked to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis and stroke.
Yaz contains 0.03 milligrams of ethinyl estradiol, while Yaz and Beyaz contain 0.02 milligrams. All three drugs contain 3 milligrams of drospirenone. Beyaz, however, has an additional component of 0.451 milligrams of folate (levomefolate calcium). According to court documents in the Marshman lawsuit, although there are other combination oral contraceptives on the market, Yasmin/Yaz/Beyaz are the first to use drospirenone.
The lawsuit argues that studies performed before the contraceptives were approved for use suggested drospirenone has side effects that are potentially more dangerous than those associated with older birth control pills. One possible reason for the suggested increased risk - as mentioned in the lawsuit - is an increase in blood potassium levels, which can cause hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia can cause changes to the heart rhythm, which can slow the flow of blood, allowing blood clots to form. Blood clots are linked to heart attacks and strokes.
According to the lawsuit, hundreds of reports of death and injury have been made to the FDA since Yaz/Yasmin/Beyaz were approved for use. Marshman argues that despite evidence of the risks associated with the drugs, Bayer and Berlix (a company bought out by Bayer) marketed the contraceptives as being just as safe as older alternatives but with more benefits. The FDA reportedly sent a warning letter regarding such marketing, arguing that there was no evidence that Yasmin was superior to other combination oral contraceptives and further noting that the advertisement did not accurately warn about the potential increased risks.
Lawsuits have been filed against Bayer concerning the risk of side effects associated with Yaz/Yasmin/Beyaz. They allege women were not adequately warned about the potential for increased risks.
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