Kansas City Personal Injury Lawyer - FDA & Prescription Drugs

Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella Side Effects: Thousands Sue Bayer For Birth Control Problems

Brett Emison — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:12:44 GMT

The Washington Times reported that thousands of women are suing Bayer because of serious side effects from its popular contraceptives (birth control pills) Yaz and Yasmin.

After 13 hours of intensifying pain, two trips to the emergency room and two CT scans, doctors finally found what was ailing Lottie Green.

In her left lung, the pulmonologist told her, was the largest blood clot they had ever seen and there were others in her right lung as well, she said.

Soon after the 41-year-old Bethesda, Md., resident was released from a hospital last month, Ms. Green joined hundreds of other women in lawsuits against Germany's Bayer AG, the maker of the popular oral contraceptive Yaz.

Her attorneys say thousands more lawsuits are forthcoming after the British Medical Journal in August published a study that found higher risks of clots, heart attacks and strokes with Yaz and its predecessor, Yasmin, compared with other contraceptives.

Why Are Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella So Dangerous?

Popular birth control pills, Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella, have been linked to serious and potentially deadly side effects. This deadly side effects affect women of all ages, including teens and young women.

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella have been linked to serious side effects, such as heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), gallbladder disease and sudden cardiac death.

Despite these serious side effects, Bayer marketed these drugs to young women not only as a contraceptive, but to relieve symptoms of severe PMS and as an acne fighter.

The FDA reprimanded Bayer late last year for overstating the benefits and downplaying the risks of Yaz in television advertisements. The slogan for Yaz was "beyond birth control."

Bayer marketed Yaz to women in their 20s. Commercials cultivated a hip, youthful image set to rock music, and advertised Yaz as a treatment for acne and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

The FDA called Bayer's advertisements "misleading" and reprimanded Bayer in a number of official FDA letters. Bayer's conduct was so egregious that the FDA ordered Bayer to run a $20 million "corrective" ad campaign.

"I can't think of anything even remotely as large scale as this corrective advertising," said Michael A. Santoro, an associate professor of business ethics at Rutgers University.

In August, the FDA again warned Bayer about poor quality control at a German plant that makes Yaz's key ingredient -- drospirenone.

How Does Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella Cause Such Serious Side Effects?

Yaz and Yasmin contain the chemical, Drosperinone, which acts as a diuretic and causes fluid loss. This fluid loss decreases sodium in the blood and increases potassium. This imbalance causes irregular heartbeats and blood pooling, resulting in heart attacks, blood clots and stroke.

What Can I Do If I Have Experienced A Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella Side Effect?

Our firm has teamed up with the very best trial lawyers in the country to litigate Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits in the Multi-District Litigation (MDL) pending in the Southern District of Illinois, near St. Louis.

In fact, one of our team, Mark Niemeyer of Onder Shelton O'Leary & Peterson, LLC, is one of only three in the country to be selected by the Court to act as co-lead counsel for these Yaz and Yasmin cases.

"My role in this MDL is simply a reflection of the commitment of all us . . . to the women or families of women who suffered grave heath consequences after taking Yaz or Yasmin and just how seriously we take all our cases," said Mr. Niemeyer.

You can contact our team for a free case evaluation.

What Is An MDL? How Does An MDL Effect My Case?

You can find out more about MDLs and how they work at this recent post.

An MDL is like a class action, but with important differences. Instead of only one "case" (like in a class action), each plaintiff in the MDL maintains his or her own claim. However, because of many areas of common interest, the thousands of cases are consolidated for much of the pre-trial work up. For example, all of the cases filed in federal courts across the country will be transferred and consolidated in front of a single trial judge. The trial judge will appoint certain attorneys to represent all of the plaintiffs for various issues during pre-trial work up, such as discovery (fact-finding), motions, and scientific testing.

Lead counsel for the MDL is appointed by the trial judge. This small group of attorneys (for the Yaz MDL, there are only three attorneys appointed as co-lead counsel) will manage all of the pre-trial work up of all cases (potentially thousands) within the MDL.

If you file your Yaz or Yasmin claim in federal court, the three co-lead counsels -- including Mark Niemeyer of our team of attorneys -- will manage the work up of your case until trial.

Who Are Members Of This Team Of Attorneys?

The Onder Law Firm, based in St. Louis, Missouri has a track record of success and results for their clients in pharmaceutical litigation, personal injury claims, class actions and multi-district litigation (MDLs). Other lawyers across the country seek the firm's experience and expertise on complex litigation in specialty areas like dangerous drug cases.

Langdon & Emison, with locations in Chicago, St. Louis and near Kansas City, is one the country's premier trial firms, successfully taking on the largest corporations in the country. Langdon & Emison fought General Motors to the United States Supreme Court. . . and won. Baker v. General Motors held that corporations could not buy the silence of their employees and is taught in law schools across the country. The lawyers at Langdon & Emison actually try cases and have built a reputation for getting results for their clients with total recoveries of more than half a billion dollars. You can learn more by visiting Langdon & Emison's safety blog or profile.

Standly Hamilton, based in Dallas, Texas, litigates cases involving important social issues, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death.

Learn More

You can learn more about the serious side effects of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella and find out what to do if you or a loved one have suffered any of these dangerous side effects at this Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella informational and safety web site.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella Side Effects: How Does Yaz Cause Gallbladder Disease?

Brett Emison — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:06:29 GMT

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella are popular contraceptives (birth control pills). These drugs are marketed under different names, but are chemically the same. Unfortunately, these pills have been linked with serious and deadly side effects.

The side effects from Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella include:

Heart Attack

Stroke

Pulmonary Embolism

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Gallbladder Disease

Women are twice as likely to as men to develop gallstones and gallbladder disease is a dangerous side effects of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella birth control pills.

The hormones in these birth control pills may increase cholesterol levels in bile and decrease gallbladder movement. This process can create gallstones, which can cause serious problems if they become trapped in the bile ducts.

Laproscopic gallbladder surgery is the most common treatment if women are experiencing frequent gallstones or other recurring problems, including inflammation. Gallbladder removal is another surgical option with its own serious side effects.

Why Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella Are So Dangerous

Yaz also cause many other serious -- even deadly -- side effects. These side effects include heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella are particularly dangerous because they have been marketed to young women with misleading advertising and false claims. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent several letters to Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for what the FDA called "misleading" advertising claims it found "particularly troubling" because they served to "undermine the communication of important risk information, minimizing these risks and misleadingly suggesting that Yaz is safer than has been demonstrated by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience."

In addition, Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella have been targeted to young women as a means to reduce acne or reduce premenstrual symptoms. In fact, some doctors have prescribed these drugs for non-sexually active girls as an acne fighter alone.

Learn More

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella Side Effects: Thousands of Lawsuits Filed Across The Country

Brett Emison — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:18:56 GMT

There are reports of thousands of lawsuits across the country stemming from the serious and deadly side effects Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella.

In fact, there are so many lawsuits coming into New Jersey over Yaz and its sister contraceptive, Yasmin, that the New Jersey judiciary is considering forming a mass tort case against Bayer, located in Wayne, New Jersey.

Courthouse News Service reports that Bayer is facing more than 125 lawsuits over Yaz and up to six new cases a day are being filed around the country. Lawyers predict there could be 1,000 cases filed in the state.

The cases have been filed against Bayer, maker of Yaz and Yasmin, and Teva Pharmaceuticals, which makes the generic version, Ocella.

***

All three oral contraceptives are among the most widely used and involve a combination of ethinyl estradiol with drospirenone. It has been linked to health problems including strokes, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease, pulmonary embolisms and death.

Bayer says its studies, which it financed, find cardiovascular risks among women on the Bayer products were comparable to an older formula of birth control pills and that patient safety is its top priority.

Buy Bayer’s credibility was questioned when the company received an FDA letter that it had to retract misleading television commercials that the FDA said overstated the drug’s efficacy and promoted it to relieve premenstrual syndrome, for which it is not approved. Bayer says it spent $20 million on the retraction.

Then in August, the FDA said Bayer did not follow proper quality control procedures in its drug making plant.

***

Federal Yaz litigation has already been consolidated for pretrial proceedings in an MDL or multidistrict litigation in East St. Louis. Pennsylvania state court is consolidating the Yasmin and Yaz lawsuits in Philadelphia.

"My role in this MDL is simply a reflection of the commitment of all us . . . to the women or families of women who suffered grave heath consequences after taking Yaz or Yasmin and just how seriously we take all our cases," said Mr. Niemeyer.

What Is An MDL? How Does An MDL Effect My Case?

You can find out more about MDLs and how they work at this recent post.

If you file your Yaz or Yasmin claim in federal court, the three co-lead counsels -- including Mark Niemeyer of our team of attorneys -- will manage the work up of your case until trial.

Who Are Members Of This Team Of Attorneys?

Standly Hamilton, based in Dallas, Texas, litigates cases involving important social issues, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death.

How Do Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella Cause Such Serious Problems?

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella have been linked to serious side effects, such as heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), gallbladder disease and sudden cardiac death.

Learn More

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Yaz Side Effects: Lead Counsel Appointed In Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella MDL Class Action

Brett Emison — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:30 GMT

Mark Niemeyer, a partner with Onder, Shelton, O'Leary & Peterson, LLC has been appointed as one of three lead counsels for the Yaz and Yasmin birth control litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the Souther District of Illinois. Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella have been linked to serious and deadly side effects, including:

Heart Attack
Stroke
Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Gallbladder Disease

What Does Lead Counsel In The MDL Means For Mark's Clients

Mark was selected as one of only three attorneys in the United States to lead this litigation. Mark will be instrumental in developing litigation strategies and managing the thousands of Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits pending in the Multi-District Litigation.

"My role in this MDL is simply a reflection of the commitment of all of us at Onder, Shelton, O'Leary & Peterson, LLC to the women or families of women who suffered grave health consequences after taking Yaz or Yasmin and just how seriously we take all our cases," said Mr. Niemeyer.

Niemeyer and the Onder Law Firm have teamed up with the best trial attorneys across the country to litigate Yaz and Yasmin cases.

Langdon & Emison is a nationally recognized trial law firm with offices in Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago. Founding partner, Bob Langdon, was selected as co-lead counsel in the Ford-Firestone MDL. Langdon & Emison has a reputation for getting results for its clients with total recoveries of more than half a billion dollars.

Standly Hamilton, based in Dallas, Texas, litigates cases involving important social issues, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death.

What Is An MDL . . . How Will The MDL Effect My Claim?

"MDL" is shorthand for "multi-district litigation". Many people may refer to an MDL as a "class action", but there are some important differences between an MDL and a class action.

In a class action, only a few people (the class representatives) sue on behalf of a large number of other people (the class). In multi-district litigation, each individual plaintiff maintains his or her own claim.

Although some states have MDL litigation, most MDLs occur in federal court. For MDLs like Yaz, the process begins when users of the drug begin experiencing dangerous side effects. As these users become injured from this dangerous drug, they begin filing lawsuits across the country. Because these lawsuits each involve similar claims (defective and dangerous drug) and similar injuries (dangerous side effects including heart attack and stroke), the federal court will consolidate all of the claims in front of one judge.

Once the MDL court has been established, all new cases involving the same drug (Yaz or Yasmin) will be transferred to the MDL court.

Lead counsel for the MDL is appointed by the trial judge. This small group of lawyers will manage the pretrial work up of all of the cases (potentially thousands of cases) inside the MDL.

The idea is to have a small number of experienced attorneys handle the pre-trial proceedings for all MDL claimants.

Why Are Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella So Dangerous?

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella have been linked to serious side effects, such as heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), gallbladder disease and sudden cardiac death.

Learn More

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella Side Effects: How Does Yaz Cause Pulmonary Embolism (PE)?

Brett Emison — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:27:34 GMT

The side effects from Yaz / Yasmin / Ocella include:

Heart Attack

Stroke

Pulmonary Embolism

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Gallbladder Disease

What Is A Pulmonary Embolism (PE)?

Pulmonary embolism (commonly referred as "PE") is an obstruction of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches by a blood clot (referred to medically as a "thrombus"). The symptoms and signs of PE vary from person to person and additional testing is necessary to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of PE.

Common symptoms or signs of PE include the following:

Shortness of breath or needing to breath rapidly (dyspnea)
Sharp, knife-like chest pain while taking a deep breath (plueritic pain)
Coughing or coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
A rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
Rapid breathing (tachypnea)
Crackling or wheezing when listening to the lungs
Decreased breath sounds while listening to the lungs
Accentuated pulmonic component of the second heart sound and jugular venous distension

Why Does Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella Cause Pulmonary Embolism (PE)?

The problem primarily lies with the key chemical ingredient, Drospirenone. Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella combine estrogen with a synthetic progestin called Drospirenone. No other contraceptive (or birth control) pills contain Drospirenone. The combination of chemicals in Yaz has been reported to increase the risk of blood clots by more than 600%.

Blood clotting is a normal bodily function. This function normally stops blood flow from cuts and creates scabs to stop bleeding. This function repairs damage to the skin and other body tissues. However, the chemical combinations in Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella can cause abnormal blood clotting. This results in blood clotting when it is unnecessary and inside the blood vessel, vein or artery.

When the abnormal blood clot breaks off from the site where it formed, the blood clot (medically called an "embolus") travels through the veins or arteries and can become lodged in the pulmonary artery, which supplies blood to parts of the lung. The clots blocks the vessel and prevents blood from reaching the lungs. The pulmonary embolism (PE) prevents the uptake of oxygen in the blood and prevents the delivery of oxygen to the brain and body.

A blood clot that becomes lodged and blocks blood flow to the heart will cause a heart attack.

A blood clot that becomes lodged and block blood flow the brain will cause a stroke.

Why Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella Are So Dangerous

Learn More

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella Side Effects: How Does Yaz Cause A Stroke?

Brett Emison — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:14:44 GMT

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella are popular contraceptives, but have been linked to serious side effects. These drugs are marketed under different names, but are chemically identical.

These birth control pills have been very popular, particularly among young women. The giant drug companies that make these drugs has marketed them to young women as having an added benefit of preventing acne and reducing symptoms of PMS. However, Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella have serious health risks and have been linked to deadly side effects including heart attack and stroke.

Women who have taken these birth control pills need to be fully aware of risks and know the warning signs to look out for. Parents need to make sure they understand all of the risks and dangers before letting their daughters take these particular birth control pills.

Why does Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella cause stroke?

The problems lies with the key chemical ingredient in these drugs: Drospirenone. Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella combine estrogen with a synthetic progestin called Drospirenone. No other contraceptive (birth control pill) contains Drospirenone. The combination of chemicals and hormones in Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella has been reported to increase the risk of blood clots by more than 600%

Your body needs to clot blood -- and this is a normal function. Blood clotting stops the flow of blood from cuts and creates scabs to stop the bleeding. Inside your body, this process repairs damage to the skin, blood vessels and other body tissues. However, the chemical combinations in Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella can cause abnormal blood clotting. This results in blood clotting when it is unnecessary and inside the blood vessel, vein or artery.

These abnormal blood clots can break away from the blood vessel on which they formed. These clots then travel through the blood stream. If the clots cause a blockage near the heart, it can prevent blood flow from reaching the heart and resulting in a heart attack.

It is also possible for the blood clot to flow through the blood stream to the brain. As it flows, the blood vessels become increasingly smaller and eventually the clot creates a blockage. When the clot forms a blockage in the brain, the result is a stroke. Studies have shown Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella to cause an abnormal number of strokes -- even in young women.

When a blood clot blocks the pulmonary artery, it is called a pulmonary embolism (or PE).

You should learn more about Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella side effects and what you can do if you or a loved one has taken these birth control pills.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Yaz Side Effects: How Does Yaz Cause A Heart Attack?

Brett Emison — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:31:57 GMT

Popular contraceptives Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella have been linked to several serious side effects, including strokes and heart attack. Why does Yaz cause heart attacks?

Blood clotting is a normal bodily function. This function normally stops blood flow from cuts and creates scabs to stop bleeding. This function repairs damage to the skin and other body tissues. However, the chemical combinations in Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella can cause abnormal blood clotting. This results in blood clotting when it is unnecessary and inside the blood vessel, vein or artery.

These abnormal blood clots can break away from the blood vessel on which they formed. When these clots break away they travel through the blood stream and can form a blockage or become lodged inside the heart itself. This blockage can starve the flow of blood and cause a heart attack.

If the blood clot lodges in the brain (rather than the heart), it can result in a stroke.

If the blood clot lodges in the pulmonary arter that supplies blood to the lungs, it can result in a pulmonary embolism (or PE).

Learn more about Yaz and Yasmin side effects and what you can do to if you have taken these birth control pills.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

AstraZeneca: Judge Returns Seroquel Lawsuits To Original Courts

Brett Emison — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:37:36 GMT

Bloomberg News has reported that federal district judge, the honorable Anne Conway, will urge a panel of judges to return all of the Seroquel cases to courts across the United States for trial in their home courts.

Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- AstraZeneca Plc may face as many 6,000 trials of lawsuits claiming its antipsychotic drug Seroquel causes diabetes after a judge said she will recommend sending the cases back to their home courts.

U.S. District Judge Anne Conway in Orlando, Florida, who is overseeing pre-trial proceedings in federal Seroquel litigation, said yesterday she’ll urge a panel of judges to return all of the cases to courts across the U.S. for possible trials.

AstraZeneca, the U.K.’s second-largest drugmaker, wanted Conway to send as many as 60 suits back to their home courts for trial as test cases. Lawyers for former users contended they were ready to press forward on their claims that the London- based company downplayed Seroquel’s diabetes risk.

Judge Conway's action was welcomed by the Seroquel users who brought these lawsuits after suffering severe side effects including the following:

weight gain
diabetes
heart attack
tardive sykinesia
hyperglycemia
pancreatitis

The action is expected to move many of these cases forward and "get the litigation moving."

The company faces more than 14,000 suits in U.S. state and federal courts alleging Seroquel caused diabetes in some users. Seroquel, which generated sales of $4.45 billion in 2008, is AstraZeneca’s second-biggest seller after the ulcer treatment Nexium.

***

AstraZeneca officials noted in regulatory filings last month that the drugmaker could face the first trials of Seroquel suits in state courts in Delaware and New Jersey in January. The company also disclosed it has spent $623 million in “legal defense costs” for Seroquel litigation so far.

AstraZeneca has been under increasing scrutiny because of the serious and potentially deadly side effects of its popular anti-psychotic drug, Seroquel. In just the past few weeks, there have been a number of negative reports regarding Seroquel:

Like so many other major companies, AstraZeneca's conduct shows that it values stock value more than health, safety and life. Why do these giant corporations get to play by a different set of rules than the rest of us? AstraZeneca appears to have ignored known side effects and essentially poisoned thousands of its own customers. What would happen if an individual -- like you or me -- had done such a thing? Yet Seroquel sits back fat and happy raking in profits off of the suffering of its customers.

It's time to hold companies accountable for putting profits over safety and valuing share price above human life.

Learn how to protect yourself against dangerous drugs at our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Yaz Side Effects: FDA Warning Letters

Brett Emison — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:19:20 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent several warning letters to Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for what the FDA termed “misleading” advertising spots it found “particularly troubling” because they served to “undermine the communication of important risk information, minimizing these risks and misleadingly suggesting that Yaz is safer than has been demonstrated by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience.”

In the 8-page FDA Warning Letter regarding Yaz dated October 3, 2008 two TV ads were cited as overstating the efficacy of the drug and minimizing the risks and side effects associated with using Yaz. Yaz related lawsuits allege that the warnings were inadequate in fully describing the potential side effects including heart attacks, strokes, gallbladder disease, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. The FDA sent three letters to the makers of Yasmin and Yaz regarding the potential for hyperkalemia in high-risk patients and their failure to clarify that risk.

2003 Yaz/Yasmin FDA Warning Letter

2008 Yaz/Yasmin FDA Warning Letter

2009 Yaz/Yasmin FDA Warning Letter

Yaz and Yasmin have been very popular among young women due to Bayer's "particularly troubling" advertising targeting young women and unconfirmed "benefits" of these birth control pills.

However, these drugs -- Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella -- have been linked to potentially deadly side effects, including heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and gallbladder trouble.

These serious side effects are caused by a key chemical found in Yas, Yasmin and Ocella -- Drosperinone.

Learn more about Yaz and Yasmin side effects and what you can do to if you have taken these birth control pills.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Yaz Side Effects

Brett Emison — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:06:02 GMT

How Yaz Causes Heart Attack and Stroke

Yas and Yasmin have been linked to serious side effects, such as heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), gallbladder disease and sudden cardiac death.

Yas and Yasmin contain the chemical, Drosperinone, which acts as a diuretic and causes fluid loss. This fluid loss decreases sodium in the blood and increases potassium. This imbalance causes irregular heartbeats and blood pooling, resulting in heart attacks, blood clots and stroke.

Learn more about Yasmin side effects and how to protect yourself.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison