First Yasmin Birth Control Pills Lawsuit Launched in Canada

Toronto, CanadaThe relatives of a woman who died in Toronto, Ontario, after taking Yasmin birth control pills have filed the first individual civil lawsuit against the drug manufacturer in Canada, according to CBC News.

The news source reported that Vicky Caprice Meserau, a 26-year-old Toronto resident, died in 2009 of a large pulmonary embolism after she took Yasmin, her legal representation noted.

Yasmin, which is produced by Bayer Inc., is one of the top-selling birth control pills in Canada. It is known as a "fourth generation" hormonal contraceptive and is considered a "low dose" medication.

According to the news source, the announcement of the lawsuit, launched in an Ontario court, comes days ahead of the US Food and Drug Administration's public hearings on the oral contraceptive.

This organization's reproductive health and drug safety committee will be examining the safety of Yasmin and its unique progestin, drospirenone. The FDA recently warned that birth control pills containing the specific hormone, sold by Bayer under Yasmin, increased the risk of blood clots by 74 percent, compared with other contraceptives on the market.

According to the news source, the health issues that have been linked to the use of Yasmin include stroke, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, heart attack and gall bladder disease. More than 10,400 individual lawsuits related to the pills have been filed in the US.

Bloomberg reported that units of Bayer may have sought to market the Yasmin birth control pills for unapproved uses and misled women about the health risks that the drug posed, according to e-mails from the company.

The news source reported that although the company is facing many lawsuits over the drug, they are denying that the injuries were caused by Yasmin birth control medication.

"The labeling for Yaz and Yasmin provides appropriate warnings regarding the risks," the company said in a legal document. "All birth control pills approved for use in the U.S. are associated with reports of adverse events, including death."