Several lawsuits have been filed in the San Francisco Superior Court alleging that the manufacturer of the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch lacked adequate safety studies and misled consumers about side effects. The cases allege that the manufacturer failed to adequately investigate the risks associated with the birth control patch and made false and misleading statements about its serious side effects. However, the manufacturer has declined to comment on the lawsuits. A representative did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Class action lawsuit
A class action lawsuit against Ortho Evra, a birth control patch manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, has been filed in the U.S. by women who have suffered serious side effects. The birth control patch delivers 60% more estrogen than the pill, so women are at increased risk of experiencing serious side effects from it. There have been more than 28,000 cases of this product causing serious injury in women, and there have been at least two deaths linked to this product. The patch was also the cause of the first resulting death, which happened when a college student was dying from blood clots that had migrated from her leg to her lungs. In 2005, the FDA approved Ortho-McNeil’s birth control patch, but the company failed to warn consumers or physicians of the dangers associated with using it.
As of October 2008, Johnson & Johnson has paid out at least $68 million in settlements involving these claims. Thousands of birth control patch lawsuits are still pending in federal and state courts. The company has refused to comment on the reports. The FDA is currently reviewing a petition to ban the patch. Until then, the company will have to pay millions of dollars in legal fees to settle these cases.
Side effects
While this birth control pill contains estrogen, which is the main component of the patch, it is also a contraceptive that has been linked to serious side effects, including heart attacks, blood clots, and strokes. Women should not use this birth control if they have any of the following conditions: breast cancer, unexplained vaginal bleeding, or an abnormal heartbeat. If you are breastfeeding, you should consider using a progesterone-only or hormone-free birth control method, as the patch contains more estrogen than most pills.
Some users of the Ortho Evra patch have also reported an increased risk of blood clots, specifically in the lungs and legs. Researchers from two separate studies have looked into this risk using patient charts and insurance claims. One study found that Ortho Evra users had double the risk of developing blood clots compared to non-users. Other studies showed no such increase. These side effects are rare but should be considered before beginning treatment with this birth control patch.
Deaths
The first death related to the Ortho Evra birth control patch was in 2004. A college student named Zakiya Kennedy collapsed while waiting for a subway. She passed away the next day from a blood clot that had moved to her lungs while she was wearing the patch. The death sparked a nationwide class action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and its parent company, Ortho-McNeil.
According to the lawsuit filed against Johnson & Johnson, the company hid evidence that the Ortho Evra birth control patch delivered higher levels of estrogen than a standard birth-control pill, increasing the risk of blood clots and strokes. The companies, however, have been able to settle these cases quietly, paying out only $68 million to victims. This amount is a pittance compared to the billions of dollars of sales that the patch has racked up.
Cost
The cost of an Ortho Evra birth control patch lawsuit can be considerable. The lawsuits claim that the birth control patch causes various injuries, including blood clots. The lawsuits claim that the manufacturer did not adequately investigate the risks of the patch and failed to warn the public of the risks. The company’s 2005 annual report cited negative media coverage as a major reason for the increase in the number of Ortho Evra cases.
A recent Bloomberg report claims that Johnson & Johnson has spent at least $68 million on confidential settlements in the Ortho Evra lawsuits. The company based this estimate on the size of a common benefit fund, which compensates lawyers for common services and collects evidence used by all plaintiffs’ lawyers. The company has argued that the patch has no dangers, and it has been negotiating confidential settlements with lawyers to avoid trials. However, many attorneys have declined to settle and the first cases are expected to go to trial next year.
Johnson & Johnson
A Johnson & JOHNSON Ortho Evra birth control patch lawsuit claims that the contraceptive causes blood clots due to the high levels of estrogen it delivers to a woman’s bloodstream. The heightened levels of estrogen and blood clots have led to serious injuries, including heart attacks, strokes, and deep vein thrombosis. This lawsuit claims that Johnson & JOHNSON failed to adequately warn consumers and physicians of these dangerous side effects.
A recent epidemiological study found that women who use the patch are at twice the risk of blood clots than women who don’t use it. This has led to a dramatic decline in prescriptions for the patch. In 2005, a J&J report noted that the product was responsible for negative publicity, including negative press coverage. But that’s not enough to make J&J stop using this birth control patch. The company has yet to answer the lawsuits.
