Texas Birth Control Blood Clot Lawyer

A birth control blood clot can cause severe, life-threatening side effects, including a pulmonary embolism, heart attack, stroke, and more. Thousands of women who were injured are now seeking financial compensation for their injury by filing a birth control blood clot lawsuit.

Overview

Millions of women use birth control pills (commonly referred to as “the pill”) to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Most brands of oral contraceptives are intended to be taken once a day, every day, and there are “active” and “inactive” pills. The “active” pills may contain a combination of two synthetic female reproductive hormones (progestin and estrogen), which make changes to the uterus and decrease ovulation.

Combination birth control pills typically contain ethinyl estradiol, a type of synthetic estrogen. There are many different types of synthetic progestin, and different birth control pills contain different progestins (including levonorgestrel, norgestrel, norethindrone, and more). Because millions of women have used combination birth control pills, experts know that all women who take progestin have a slightly higher risk of blood clots. The risk is around 4-6 women per 10,000.

New types of birth control pills (such as Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella, Beyaz, Safyral, and Gianvi) contain drospirenone. This “fourth generation” synthetic progestin was developed by Schering A.G., a pharmaceutical research company that is now a part of Bayer. Bayer is now responsible for most birth control pills containing drospirenone.

The problem with these birth control pills is that drospirenone has been linked to a higher risk of blood clots compared to older birth control pills containing progestin, but drospirenone is equally effective at preventing pregnancy.

Birth Control Blood Clot Lawsuits

Approximately 11,000 women who were injured by drospirenone have filed birth control blood clot lawsuits against Bayer.

Some of the controversy surrounding drospirenone-containing birth control pills stems from the way Bayer marketed these drugs. Bayer spent nearly $270 million on a massive advertising campaign for Yaz and Yasmin. Partially as a result of this campaign, tens of millions of women decided to switch to one of Bayer’s birth control pills.

The FDA sent Bayer several warning letters regarding “misleading” statements in these advertisements, and because Bayer “failed to communicate any risk information.” In fact, the FDA sent three warning letters, in 2003, 2008, and 2009, finding the following issues:

• 2003 – Advertisements for Yasmin minimized the risks of the medication and falsely implied that Yasmin was safer than other birth control pills
• 2008 – Advertisements for Yaz were found to be “misleading because they broaden the drug’s indication, overstate the efficacy … and minimize serious risks associated with the use of the drug.”
• 2009 – Advertisements for Yaz were found to be “misleading” because they “fail to communicate any risk information.”