Yaz Blood Clot Trial Postponed for Mediation

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January 9, 2012 – Bayer AG has temporarily avoided a trial that was originally scheduled to begin today involving its blockbuster birth control pill Yaz after a judge appointed a mediator in hopes of resolving the cases out of court. The lawsuit is accusing the pharmaceutical giant of misleading women about the risks of its Yasmin family of contraceptives. The case is just the first of more than 10,000 claims filed on behalf of women allegedly injured by the drugs’ side effects.

Yaz Lawsuit Update 5/2/12: For the third time this year, deadlines for lawsuits over side effects caused by Bayer’s controversial birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin have been extended another 90 days. The move, which was ordered by Chief Judge David R. Herndon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, allows settlement negotiations to continue between Bayer and plaintiff lawyers for the next three months. Click here to learn more.

Free Yaz Blood Clot Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has suffered from a blood clot or other serious side effect after taking Yaz or Yasmin, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against Bayer and we can help.

What’s the problem?

U.S. District Judge David Herndon has ordered Bayer and law firms suing the company to meet with mediator Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor, in an attempt to reach settlements in the Yaz litigation.

Bayer’s popular line of birth control products generated over $1.5 billion in sales in 2010, making them the company’s second biggest sellers behind Betaseron, a widely-used multiple sclerosis drug. The contraceptives, which contain a fourth generation synthetic hormone known as drospirenone, have been the focus of regulators who question their safety and efficacy.

Last year, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release warning the public that women taking drospirenone-containing birth control pills were nearly 75% more likely to suffer blood clots than women taking older, low-estrogen contraceptives. The administration looked at data on more than 835,000 women who took pills containing drospirenone.

According to data from IMS Health, Yasmin was the United States’ fourth best-selling oral contraceptive last year, holding nearly 5% of the market.

Over the past two years, Bayer has faced a wave of lawsuits around the country claiming that its birth control pills caused serious and sometimes fatal blood clots. Law firms suing the company cited FDA reports of at least 50 deaths tied to the contraceptives between 2004 and 2008.

Herndon scheduled a series of bellwether trials to begin early this year to provide guidance on the validity of the plaintiffs’ claims that Bayer marketed its birth control products as safe while knowing they posed an increased risk of blood clots. Company officials protested the move, claiming the trials would be of little use, so Herndon appointed Saltzburg as a mediator.

Bayer was also scheduled to face Yaz trials in state court in Philadelphia this month. The first case was put on hold while the Pennsylvania Supreme Court determines whether to hear a procedural issue. The case is In re Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Product Liability Litigation, 09-md-02100, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois (East St. Louis).

Need More Info?

Click on the links below if you’d like additional information about these topics from Schmidt & Clark, LLP:

• Birth Control Blood Clots
• Yaz
• Yasmin

Do You Have a Yaz Blood Clot Lawsuit?

The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Yaz lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new blood clot cases in all 50 states.

Free Yaz Blood Clot Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has suffered from a blood clot or other serious side effect after taking Yaz or Yasmin, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a Yaz blood clot suit and we can help.