Update – 4/26/2011 – Recent studies published in the British Medical Journalacknowledge an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, a severe form of blood clotting deep within the body, among users of forth generation oral contraceptives like Yaz, Ocella and Yasmin. The risk of developing a blood clot from these contraceptives is twice that of previous levonorgestrel-based birth control pills.
Women who use Ocella birth control pills may be exposing themselves to a variety of dangerous side effects including blood clots, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and heart attack.
If you or a loved one has been injured by Ocella, you should contact our lawyersimmediately for a free confidential case evaluation. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and we can help.
A Brief History Of Ocella
Ocella is the generic form of birth control drug Yaz, originally developed by Berlex Laboratories in 2001. In 2006, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals acquired Berlex and marketed a more recent version of Yaz, called Yasmin. Ocella, Yaz, and Yasmin all contain drospirenone, a “fourth generation” progestin contained in no other birth control pills on the market. In July 2008, Barr Laboratories, a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceuticals, launched Ocella under an agreement that Bayer would supply the generic product. In August 2009, a federal court affirmed a lower court’s ruling that invalidated Bayer’s patent on Yasmin, allowing Barr Laboratories to begin manufacturing and distributing Ocella without licensing from Bayer.
Ocella Side Effects
Side effects of Ocella have been linked to an increased risk of blood clots,
strokes,
heart attacks,
deep vein thrombosis (DVT),
pulmonary embolism (PE), and
gallbladder disease. As of October 2010, at least 3,700 people nationwide have filed lawsuits against Ocella, Yaz, or Yasmin. While Bayer Pharmaceuticals is named in all of the complaints, many of the cases that involved Ocella also include Barr and Teva as defendants.
Ocella Label Change to Include Risk of Blood Clots
The FDA has recently completed a review of observational studies regarding the risk of blood clots in women taking drospirenone-containing birth control pills. Based on the data acknowledged in the review, officials at the FDA have concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills. To put the risk of developing a blood clot from a birth control pill into perspective: The risk of developing a blood clots is higher when using any birth control pills than not using them. As a result, the FDA has requested a label change.
According to a Drug Safety Communication, the revised drug labels will report that some epidemiologic studies reported as high as a three-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for drospirenone-containing products when compared to products containing levonorgestrel or some other progestins.
Did Bayer mislead the public?
Bayer has recently come under fire from the FDA for airing misleading ads that overstated the benefits of Yaz without disclosing the serious side effects. As a result, the ads were pulled and replaced with commercials that put its benefits in perspective. Due to the serious side effects associated with Ocella, Yaz, & Yasmin, many are calling on the FDA to ban these drugs.
Do I have an Ocella Lawsuit?
The trial lawyers at The Senators (Ret.) Firm, LLP have decades of experience navigating through complex legislative and regulatory issues and litigating high stakes cases all over the nation. Our law firm focuses on the representation of plaintiffs in Ocella lawsuits. We are currently accepting new cases in all 50 states.
Again, if you or a loved one has been injured by Ocella, you should contact our lawyers immediately by clicking the link below or calling toll free 1-800-773-0849. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and we can help.