Yaz and Yazmin Birth Control Lawsuits Settled for Nearly $403 Million

In a newsletter to its stockholders, Bayer, the manufacturer of the Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, has announced that it has settled 1,877 Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits for a total of $402.6 million. There are still nearly 12,000 lawsuits pending against Bayer.
The Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits have been filed after women who’ve taken these birth control pills experienced serious blood clots. According to Bloomberg Business Week, “Since 2009, the German drugmaker has faced a wave of litigation over the birth-control pills. Lawyers suing the company cited FDA reports of at least 50 deaths tied to the pills from 2004 to 2008. Plaintiffs’ lawyers contend in court filings that Bayer officials marketed the contraceptives for unapproved uses and misled women about their risks.
The cases filed in federal courts were consolidated before U.S. District Judge David Herndon in East St. Louis, Illinois, for pretrial proceedings.”
Bayer is clearly anticipating future Yaz and Yasmin lawsuit settlements since it has put aside $610.5 million.
Since news of health issues surrounding the Yaz and Yasmin products first surfaced, the FDA has issued warnings that these birth control pill may triple the risk of blood clot issues among women who take these pills. Business Week further noted, “Pills like Bayer’s Yasmin, which contain a synthetic hormone called drospirenone, will have warning labels saying researchers found they may triple the risk for clots.
The FDA examined data on more than 835,000 women who took pills containing drospirenone, including Bayer’s Yasmin line, according to the FDA report. Yasmin was the No. 4 oral contraceptive in the U.S. in 2011, with 4.6 percent of the market as of September, according to data from IMS Health.”
In spite of the Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits and the serious health concerns, the pills remain a top seller and income generator for Bayer. In 2011, Bayer contraceptives generated $1.1 billion in sales.