First YAZ/Yasmin Lawsuit Sent to Mediation

New York, NYThe first lawsuit scheduled to go to trial next week, filed against Bayer AG alleging the pharmaceutical company mislead women about the safety of its oral contraceptives YAZ/Yasmin, has been sent to mediation instead.

Bayer is currently facing more than 10,000 personal injury lawsuits alleging YAZ/Yasmin causes blood clots. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs have reportedly cited reports by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of at least 50 deaths linked to the use of the contraceptives, which contain drospirenone.

In 2011, the FDA issued a warning to women taking YAZ/Yasmin that it was associated with a 74 percent increased risk for blood clots compared with low estrogen oral contraceptives. The FDA warning was based on a review of data from 835,000 women using YAZ/Yasmin.

Also in 2011, Health Canada announced that a review of drospirenone-containing contraceptives found 1.5 to 3.0 times the risk of blood clots. The Canadian health agency said that labels have been strengthened to include a warning about the risk. The agency further recommended that health care professionals weigh the risks and benefits of certain birth control products that contain drospirenone when determining which contraceptives to prescribe.