All that Yaz

Florida Yaz Lawsuit Lawyer

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Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley are investigating the complications caused by the birth control drugs called Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella; manufactured by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. Searcy Denney has decided to represent those women who have fallen victim to this dangerous drug and have suffered serious injury or, tragically, death as a result of taking Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella.

Yaz is that birth control pill with the commercials showing very successful, attractive, young business women who speak candidly about birth control and the responsible decisions for taking these drugs. In one commercial, an actor playing a physician spends several seconds sprinting through many of the potential complications of which Bayer wants you to know about; cardiovascular complications including blood clots, stroke, and heart attack.

But, Bayer goes beyond birth control promises. Bayer promises that Yaz will help with the “emotional” symptoms of women’s periods. They promise that Yaz will treat “headaches, feeling anxious, fatigue, bloating, increased appetite, muscle aches and moodiness” sometimes associated with women’s menstrual cycles. In addition to preventing unwanted pregnancy, Bayer promises all these other issues and marketed it as a treatment for acne problems as well.

Bayer has marketed Yaz as the final solution for symptoms experienced by women during their periods and they have appealed to the predominantly young people suffering from adolescent acne.

Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella are called combination hormone contraceptives because of the combination of estrogen and progestin. Although Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella differ in the amounts of estrogen they contain, most women would identify the difference by the cycle by which they are each taken. Yaz is taken on a 24/4 cycle and Yasmin is taken on a 21/7 cycle.

Women with elevated blood potassium or women taking Motrin, Advil, Aleve or similar over the counter medications can be at higher risk for complications of taking Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella. Also, women taking ACE inhibitors such as, Capoten, Vasotec and Zestril may be at higher risk for complications.

Since 2003, the manufacturers of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella have received several warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about Bayer’s marketing of Yaz and their exaggeration of the drug’s treatment capabilities. Bayer has also been chastised by the FDA for failing to sufficiently warn about the many potential complications of taking Yaz.

As recently as 2008, the FDA sent a stern, seven page letter to Bayer warning them that:

• Bayer’s TV ads were misleading and overstated the efficacy of Yaz
• “Over-promise the benefits and minimize the risk associated with Yaz”
• Bayer’s ads fail to warn that Yaz has not been evaluated for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Bayer’s ads create misleading impressions about the claims of Yaz efficacy
• Bayer must formulate a comprehensive plan “to disseminate the truth, non-misleading and complete corrective messages” about Yaz

Bayer’s advertisements for Yaz appear to be intended reduce concerns for the serious complications associated with Yaz; including:

• Venous thrombosis and thromboembolic events
• Arterial thrombosis and thromboembolic events
• Myocardial infarction
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Thromboembolism
• Hepatic neoplasia
• Gallbladder disease
• Hypertension
• Blood clots
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Death

In advertisements similar to the “Balloons Ad”, Bayer has made substantial efforts to downplay the significant risks associated with Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella, while promoting the emotional appeal for the drugs.

Being responsible by preventing unwanted pregnancies was not sufficient for Bayer to promise, they also promoted the drug as one that solves the emotional aspects of premenstrual syndrome and adolescent acne. The “Balloons Ad” demonstrates Yaz as the “only” birth control pill that “goes beyond the rest” by treating the “emotional and physical premenstrual symptoms severe enough to impact your life”. It depicts young, attractive, successful and happy women who the advertisement strongly conveys are all of these things because of Yaz. 

Yaz has become Bayer’s number one selling drug generating over a $1.2 billion in sales to Bayer.

It seems clear that Bayer has aggressively promoted a substantial profit generating drug, while downplaying the very significant complications of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. Bayer’s ads seem to exaggerate the uses and benefits of these drugs. Bayer should have been more forthright in their portrayal of the benefits of these drugs and more realistic in the serious complications of them.

If you have been injured through the use of Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella, Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley has the resources and skilled attorneys capable of helping you to pursue the justice you deserve. If you are a family member who believes you have tragically lost someone as the result of Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella, our firm stands ready to assist you in trying to obtain justice for your loved one.

For more information about our firm, visit our website at SearcyLaw.com or call one of our mass tort team members at 1.800.780.8607. To contact someone regarding a Yaz related injury, please feel free to complete the contact form on this page.