Ortho Evra Lawsuit Claims
Since the FDA’s approval of the Ortho Evra birth control patch in April of 2002, nearly 4 million American woman have started using the alternative contraceptive. To date, however, there have been over 9,000 reports of adverse events following the use of the patch, including nearly 20 confirmed reports of death caused by blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks and strokes.
On Thursday, November 10, 2005, Johnson and Johnson issued a warning saying that women who use the Ortho Evra birth control patch will be exposed to 60% more estrogen then those using standard forms of birth control. Following the warning, The Food and Drug Administration approved an updated label for the Ortho Evra contraceptive patch to warn patients about the exposure to higher levels of estrogen. The new warning clearly states that women who use the Ortho Evra birth control patch are exposed to about 60% more estrogen than if they were taking a typical birth control pill containing 35 micrograms of estrogen.
The Ortho Evra birth control patch is supposed to deliver estrogen and progestin slowly to the blood stream once the patch is applied to the skin. The combination of these two hormones prevents ovulation and pregnancy, and in a patch form offer a deceptively convenient alternative to oral contraception. However, serious adverse effects have been reported since the patch’s approval over three years ago. Nearly a dozen women died in 2004 alone from blood clots believed to be caused by the birth control patch, and dozens of other women survived strokes and other clot-related problems.
Critics argue that the products manufacturer, Ortho-McNeil (a division of Johnson and Johnson), was aware of the potential health risks, but did nothing to alert the public about them. Misleading ads featuring sexy models were used to tout the convenience of the contraceptive birth control patch, but they did very little to warn of the potentially fatal side effects. Ortho-McNeil’s deceptive marketing helped to make the patch an immediate hit once it was introduced to the public, but now the facts can be no longer ignored - women are dying because of this defective device.
In addition to the potentially fatal consequences of using the patch, there are many other side effects that have been reported:
- Allergic reactions (difficulty breathing, closing of throat, swelling of lips, tongue, face, etc.)
- Crushing/sharp chest pain
- Coughing blood/sudden shortness of breathe
- Pain in calf
- Sudden severe headache or vomiting
- Problems with vision and speech
- Yellowing of skin or whites of eyes (jaundice)
- Irregular vaginal bleeding
- Severe pain, swelling or tenderness in the abdomen
- Swelling of the fingers and ankles
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- Weakness, lack of energy and fatigue
- New or changing breast lumps
Severe and potentially fatal side effects including blood clots, pulmonary embolism, heart attacks and strokes have been reported by women who are using or have used the Ortho Evra birth control patch. For more information about the severe side effects, please click here.
If you or a loved one have experienced any major side effects from the Ortho Evra birth control patch including blood clots, heart attacks, strokes or sudden death, please call us at 1.800.966.4999 or fill out our online contact form for a free case evaluation.
