Yaz birth control maker sued by Montara woman

3/18/10 -- The San Mateo County Times has reported that a woman in Montara, California has filed a lawsuit against the maker of Yaz birth control, drug giant Bayer Pharmaceuticals, claiming it placed the contraceptives on the market, even though it knew the pills could be dangerous.

The woman reportedly experienced organ failure as a result of taking Yasmin, an older generation of the Yaz pill. Her serious health problems included gallbladder failure, according to court documents. This California-based case is just one of hundreds of lawsuits filed nationwide by women who say they have experienced life-threatening side effects from Yaz, Yasmin or the generic birth control pill Ocella.

Many of the women filing these lawsuit claim that Yasmin or Yaz caused a potentially life-threatening blood clots; many say they suffered gallbladder problems. Health professionals contend that Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella birth control pills are all potentially dangerous drugs because they contains an insufficiently tested synthetic hormone called drospirenone.

The lawsuits claim that Bayer knows or should know that the pills created a higher risk for strokes, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis and liver and kidney disease for those who use them. In 2003, 2008 and 2009, the Food and Drug Administration warned Bayer to not overstate the drug's efficacy and downplay the risks in advertisements.