Lawsuits Continue to Mount against Makers of Yasmin Birth Control

Pittsburgh, PAA series of new lawsuits recently filed against Bayer Pharmaceuticals in Pittsburgh are the latest in a string of litigations resulting from Yasmin side effects.

Bayer, makers of the controversial contraceptive, is currently facing more than 150 suits nationally related over the marketing of and the complications arising from the Yasmin birth control pill.

The medication has been linked to a series of health risks, including blood clots and maladies related to the gallbladder. These unintentional side effects can result in serious medical health issues including abdominal bloating, jaundice, swelling in the legs and arms and impaired or double vision.

These six most recent suits are seeking a collective total of roughly $900,000 in punitive and compensatory damages.

Bayer spokesperson Bryan Iams has expressed confidence in the company's defense.

"The complaints we have reviewed so far pertain to side effects that are warned about in the labeling of all contraceptives, including ours," Iams tells the Tribune-Review.

Under an agreement reached between Bayer and the FDA in 2008, the company has agreed to run a $20 million corrective advertising campaign meant to address the overstatement of the benefits of Yaz and the understatement of the risks related to its usage.