Yaz

Yaz Highlights

Yaz and Yasmin are America’s most prescribed birth control pills.
FDA warns Yaz ads misled consumers about the purpose of the drug and concealed harmful side-effects.
Manufacturers face lawsuits from women injured by taking Yaz and Yasmin.

Lawsuits and Investigations

About Yaz

Yaz and Yasmin are low estrogen oral contraceptives, more commonly known as birth control pills. They are taken to prevent pregnancy. They are also used to treat moderate acne in women who are at least 14 years old and have started having menstrual periods, and who wish to use birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. Yaz treats the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), such as anxiety, depression, irritability, trouble concentrating, lack of energy, sleep or appetite changes, breast tenderness, joint or muscle pain, headache, and weight gain.

If you or a loved one was injured while taking Yaz you may be entitled to a cash settlement. Please complete the form and one of our attorneys will contact you or call 1-800-LAW-FIRM now.

Yaz and Yasmin both contain drospirenone, a type of progestin. There are grave risks posed by the use of this type of progestin, which Yaz’s manufacturer, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Bayer) chose to play down to potential female consumers in its advertising. As a result, the FDA reprimanded Bayer for its misleading advertising, and now the company faces thousands of claims from women injured using Yaz or Yasmin without complete knowledge of the potential side effects.

Drug makers are obligated to make sure that the medications that they manufacture are free from defect and are not dangerous for users. They also must specify how the drug must be used and notify users of the possible side effects and risks that can arise. Yaz and Yasmin can cause blood clots, stroke, kidney failure, gallbladder problems, liver problems, pancreas problems and a rare condition known as hyperkalemia. Yaz and Yasmin are also intended to be prescribed to prevent pregnancy, they should not be prescribed solely to treat PMDD or to prevent acne. These drugs also have not been proven to treat PMS. Today, Yaz and Yasmin remain available to the public, however, Bayer can no longer air television ads that do not disclose the true risks of taking Yaz and Yasmin. The FDA has mandated new, medically accurate television advertisements be aired.

Conditions Caused By Yaz

Blood clots
Stroke
Kidney failure
Pancreas problems
Gallbladder problems
Liver problems
Hyperkalemia (excess levels of potassium in the blood)
Pulmonary embolism (blood clot of the lung)
Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clot of the leg)

Side Effects & Symptoms

Sudden shortness of breath
Chest/jaw/left arm pain
Confusion
Coughing up blood
Sudden dizziness/fainting
Slurred speech
Vision problems/changes
Unwanted facial/body hair
Swelling of the ankles/feet
Lumps in the breast
Unusual tiredness
Dark urine
Yellowing eyes
Rash
Severe dizziness
Trouble breathing
Weight changes (gain or loss)
Problem wearing contact lenses
Weakness on one side of the body
Dark patches on the skin (melasma)
Pain/swelling/warmth in the groin/calf
Severe stomach/abdominal/pelvic pain
Tingling/weakness/numbness in the arms/legs
Itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat)
Headaches with other symptoms such as vision changes/lack of coordination
Mental/mood changes (e.g., depression, suicidal thoughts, persistent trouble sleeping)
Changes in vaginal bleeding (e.g., continuous spotting, sudden heavy bleeding, missed periods)

Warnings & Recalls

In 2003, the FDA sent a warning letter to Berlex Laboratories (acquired by Bayer) over deceptive advertising for Yasmin, citing the company for, “…implying the pills were superior to all other oral contraceptives and for minimizing the risk[s].”
On October 3, 2008, the FDA reprimanded Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for running misleading television commercials advertising Yaz. The ads were misleading because they broaden the drug’s indication, overstate the efficacy of Yaz, and minimize serious risks associated with the drug. The ads also encourage the use of Yaz in circumstances other than those in which the drug was approved, over-promise the benefits and minimize the risks associated with Yaz. Yaz has not been evaluated for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Specifically, given the overlap in certain symptoms between premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and PMDD, and the material limitation on YAZ's PMDD indication (that it has not been evaluated for the treatment of the less serious condition, PMS), the TV Ads misleadingly suggest that YAZ is appropriate for treating women with PMS, who may not be appropriate candidates for this drug. We note that despite listing certain symptoms of PMDD, nowhere do the TV Ads use the full phrase "premenstrual dysphoric disorder," to more completely distinguish PMDD from PMS, thereby increasing the likelihood that a viewer, in light of the claims and presentations described below, will understand it to be the same as, or substantially similar to, PMS.