Posted by Editor | Posted in Defective Drugs
Thousands of women filed suit against Johnson & Johnson after their suffered blood clots, heart attacks or strokes after using their birth control patch, Ortho Evra.
The company, which is the world’s largest maker of healthcare products, settled the suits for at least $68.7 million. Many see this move as a way for the company to dodge high-profile trials. The settlements are confidential and the company’s investors won’t be informed of the details.
There were 562 complaints (representing 4,000 women) against the company.
The majority of the complaints related to blood clots in the legs (deep-vein thrombosis) and blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolisms). The complaints also listed 20 women who died after using the patch.
One case involved the death of a 17-year-old high school girl from St. Louis who died in 2003 after she was on the patch for six months. She is survived by her 1-year-old child. Her parents said they had no idea of the risk behind using the patch.
Millions of women have used the patch since it got on the market in 2002. With the consent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Johnson & Johnson voluntarily strengthened the warning label three times.
The current label warns that the patch exposes to women to 60 percent more estrogen than the average birth control pill, which increases side effects.
Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, an advocacy organization, petitioned the FDA in May to ban the patch within six months, even after the three label changes.
