Bayer Pharmaceutical's oral contraceptive pills Yaz and Yasmin – often confused as being the same drug, but are actually marketed as two different drugs – have been linked to heart attacks, strokes, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, gallbladder disease, reports of sudden death and more. While nearly 50 lawsuits have already been filed, Yaz/Yasmin lawyers estimate that the number of Yaz lawsuits and Yasmin lawsuits will increase to over 1,000 in the next year.
What are the differences between Yaz & Yasmin?
Both Yaz birth control and Yasmin birth control products have been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and are marketed by pharmaceutical giant Bayer. While they are both oral contraception drugs which contain drospirenone & ethinyl estradiol (estrogen), Yasmin contains a higher dose (30 mcg) of estrogen, while Yaz has contains 20 mcg. The dosing instructions are also different for the two drugs. Yasmin is meant to be taken for three weeks (21 days) and then a placebo (or inactice pill) is taken in the last week (7 days). Yaz is meant to be taken for 24 days and then a placebo is taken for the last 4 days.
According to Bayer's websites for the drugs (www.yasmin-us.com & www.yaz-us.com):
Yasmin is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use an oral contraceptive.Yaz is is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use an oral contraceptive, and:
- Treatment of the emotional and physical symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in women who choose to use an oral contraceptive as their method of contraception.
- The effectiveness of YAZ for PMDD when used for more than 3 menstrual cycles has not been evaluated. YAZ has not been evaluated for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
- Treatment of moderate acne vulgaris
- In women at least 14 years of age, who have no known contra-indications to oral contraceptive therapy and have achieved menarche. YAZ should be used for the treatment of moderate acne only if the patient desires an oral contraceptive for birth control.
Reported Yaz & Yasmin injuries
The drugs reportedly increase potassium to dangerously high levels which can result in blood clots and lead to strokes and pulmonary embolisms. Other side effects have been reported including breast lumps, depression or mood changes, heart attack, high blood pressure, kidney and/or liver damage, migraines, vaginal bleeding and severe allergic reactions including swelling, hives and difficulties in breathing.
Thousands of Yaz & Yasmin lawsuits expected
About 50 Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits have been filed against Bayer and a court will soon decide whether to consolidate those cases into Multidistrict Litigation, or MDL, a proceeding designed to avoid inconsistent rulings and duplicate discovery. Plaintiffs allege that Bayer:
In addition, the FDA has warned Bayer about its marketing and manufacturing practices. Bayer has agreed to spend $20 million to correct the former, but has not acknowledged any wrongdoing in the latter. Yaz/Yasmin attorneys predict that the number of lawsuits filed against Bayer over these products will reach well over 1,000 by next year.