Birth control medications are now part of everyday life for millions of women in the United States, and it hasbecome a multi-billion-dollar market. As a result, companies are working tirelessly to formulate and release new birth control drugs that are designed to meet this need.
One of those products is known as Yaz, and its manufactured by Bayer Healthcare. Yaz has produced positive results but has also encountered some serious problems. Below you’ll find information regarding how Yaz works inside the body, the side effects that have been linked to Yaz, other problems that the makers of Yaz encountered with the government, how these problems have been handled by individuals and ultimately how you should proceed if you’ve been harmed as a result of using Yaz.
Yaz Birth Control and the FDA
Yaz is a birth control medication that exists in pill form and is provided via prescription. It originally obtained approval for marketing, sale, and distribution from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006. It works by releasing small amounts of two different hormones into the female’s system. These hormones are known as drospirenone and ethinylestradiol, and they are the active ingredients in the drug.
In essence, these hormones help Yaz perform two functions:
Generally, Yaz produced early results that were positive, but it wasn’t long before the product encountered problems on more than one level.
Yaz was also used for two different off-label purposes, which in itself can be controversial since off-label uses mean by nature that the product was never approved for these purposes. Specifically, Yaz was used to treat the symptoms of PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. These symptoms include anxiety, irritability, lack of sleep and confusion. Yaz was also used to treat the symptoms of acne.
Yaz Side Effects
Unfortunately, Yaz was soon linked to the development of several side effects, all of which were dangerous and potentially fatal in certain situations. These side effects included:
DVT and pulmonary embolisms are somewhat related. DVT begins when a blood clot forms deep inside the body, usually in the leg. When a clot grows to the point where it can break off and travel through the circulatory system, it sometimes winds up in the tissue of the lungs. When a blood clot forms in the lungs, it is known as a pulmonary embolism, and it can be extremely dangerous if not discovered and treated quickly. Over time, DVT and pulmonary embolisms can prove to be deadly.
Government Warnings for Yaz Advertisements
In addition to the side effects that were linked to Yaz, Baxter Healthcare also encountered problems with the government relating to the advertisements that were running in conjunction with its release. In these advertisements, Yaz was purported to be safer than it actually was by glossing over the side effects. In addition to this subtle message, Yaz was also subtly positioned to treat the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. Yaz was never approved for this use.
As a result, the FDA sent a warning letter to Bayer Healthcare in 2008 in conjunction with 27 Attorneys General from different states that foretold of potential liability if these potentially false advertisements continued. In response to this warning, Bayer Healthcare agreed to pull the advertisements and to spend $20 million on a separate campaign designed to refute and correct the false claims made in the original advertisements. Bayer Healthcare also agreed to obtain approval for any additional advertisements before they hit the airwaves.
Yaz Side Effect Lawsuits, Yaz Lawyers and Attorneys
In response to the link to side effects, the public also began to act on an individual basis. Yaz lawyers began to field incoming inquiries and several civil lawsuits were filed across the country in an attempt to win verdicts of damages for the medical expenses incurred as a result of the injuries they suffered.
As of now, other than the warnings issued by the government in response to the advertisements described above, no official action has been taken in regards to an order to attach a warning to the products containers or to initiate a recall of Yaz.
Yaz Drug Lawyer and Lawsuit Help
If you or someone you love has been harmed as a result of using Yaz, you need to contact the defective drugs lawyers at Phillips Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation. You need sound answers regarding your situation in order to proceed properly, so contact the firm today.
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