Swiss Medical Authority Investigates Yaz Drug Side Effects
Bayer says that a study by Swissmedic, the Swiss medical authority, released recently in German, shows that the risk of potentially fatal embolisms, or clots, is about the same for its Yaz brand contraceptives as it is with other birth control pills. According to a report on Bnet, Bayer has provided an incomplete translation of Swissmedic's study, which may not provide the complete picture. This study is being looked at with great interest by attorneys who have filed pharmaceutical liability lawsuits on behalf of personal injury victims who have suffered greatly as a result of taking Yaz. So far, about 130 Yaz lawsuits have been filed. These lawsuits basically allege that Bayer's use of drospirenone, the active ingredient in the pill, increases risks of blood clots, which can result in heart attacks and strokes.
Swissmedic began investigating all birth control pills after a 16-year-old was disabled by a lung embolism after she took Yaz. Reportedly, there have been nine deaths connected with the use of oral contraceptives in Switzerland since 1990. Bayer launched Yaz, a lower-dose version of Bayer's contraceptive Yasmin, last year in Europe where it was expected to generate peak annual sales in the low triple-digit millions of Euros within five years. Bayer's contraceptives, Yasmin, Yaz and Yasminelle, were the pharmaceutical company's best selling products last year, generating sales of 1.2 billion Euros in 2008 alone.
Bayer claims that the Swissmedic report states that oral hormonal contraceptives containing drospirenone have a comparable safety profile to that of other birth control pills available on the market. However, other translations of the German report suggest that the risks for drospirenone, a fourth generation progestin compound, may be different.
The interpretation of this report is tricky, especially because the report is in German. The report needs to be translated professionally by an objective third party, so the facts of this investigation can be accurately revealed. The methodology followed by the Swiss medical authority must also be investigated in order to get all the facts about this report.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious drug side effects as a result of taking Yaz or Yasmin, please contact the Missouri personal injury lawyers at Page Law at (866) 620-5757 for a free consultation. We have several resources and access to experts, who will help determine whether your drug side effects were caused as a result of taking these contraceptives and whether you have a products liability claim against Bayer. Call Page Law today to find out how our skilled attorneys can help.
