Bayer Announces Plans to Settle 10,000 Yaz/Yasmin Gallbladder Lawsuits

According to information posted by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (MDL), there are 9,566 Yaz/Yasmin related lawsuits pending in the Yaz/Yasmin MDL, which is currently being handled by the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois.

Yasmin (generic Ocella) came onto the market in 2001 and was touted as a new generation birth control pill that would help women avoid the side effects commonly associated with other birth control pills on the market, such as fluid retention, breast tenderness, weight gain, and increased blood pressure by using a synthetic hormone, progestin drospirenone. Initially, Yaz and Yasmin passed all the necessary clinical trials and inspections and it was considered safe for both short and long term use. Besides pregnancy prevention, Yaz and Yasmin were also marketed as a treatment for women suffering from pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and acne problems.

In 2003, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings about the potential risks associated with Yaz/Yasmin birth control pills. They reported an increase in blood clots, which can cause strokes, pulmonary embolism, DVT as well as the development of gall bladder problems.
 
The British Medical Journal published a study in October 2011 titled “Combined Hormonal Contraceptives and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Endpoints.” They looked at oral contraceptives that contained progestin drospirenone, and found that they had a 74 percent higher likelihood of developing blood clots, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolisms.

In 2011, the FDA released a study that reflected the findings of the British Medical Journal study showing that women taking oral contraceptives like Yaz/Yasmin had a 75 percent greater chance of developing blood clots over women who took other types of birth control pills.

Bayer will designate a $24 million fund to be used in the Yaz/Yasmin lawsuit settlements. The settlement amount will be $2,000 to $3,000 per plaintiff, which is less than what they have paid out for blood clot related lawsuits. It was recently reported that Bayer has paid out almost $1 billion in settlements to Yasmin users claiming they experienced blood clotting related injuries such as heart attacks, strokes, and death. The amount paid out to each claimant was considered on a case-by-case basis.

If you or someone you know has had similar injuries as the result of taking Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella oral contraceptives, legal options are available. Learn more and get a free legal consultation regarding a claim’s eligibility at the Yaz/Yasmin, Ocella & Beyaz Birth Control Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. Experienced legal professionals have access to medical experts to assess whether or not these birth control pills may have played a role in the development of your blood clot, stroke, pulmonary embolism or gall bladder problems, so act now.