Bayer's birth control pills may increase risk of venous thromboembolism

The following release is being issued by law firms RodaNast, P.C.; Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman and Feldman & Pinto:

According to two new studies published in the online edition of the British Medical Journal, Bayer's birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin, containing a new progestin drospirenone (DSRP), carry up to triple the risk of serious blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism) over traditional pills containing the progestin levonorgestrel (LNG).

Approximately 2,000 lawsuits have been filed in Pennsylvania before Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Sandra Mazer Moss, Coordinating Judge of the Complex Litigation Center.  Another 4,000 lawsuits are pending in federal court before the Judge David R. Herndon, who is overseeing the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL).  The lawsuits allege that Yaz and Yasmin have risks beyond those of traditional birth control pills and that Bayer over-promoted the drug without disclosing the higher risks. Bayer was warned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the fall of 2008, that Bayer's television advertisements were misleading and did not disclose the additional risks.

The findings of the new studies provide additional evidence that the older oral contraceptives "appear to be a safer choice with regard to venous thromboembolism than preparations containing drospirenone," says Dr. Susan Jick of Boston University's School of Medicine, who led the research team.