On December 8, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel voted 21-5 that the packaging for birth control pills containing drospirenone needs to include more information about the potential risk for blood clots in the legs and lungs. Drospirenone-containing birth control pills are a new generation of “the pill” that includes Beyaz, Ocella, Zarah, Yasmin and Yaz. The FDA became concerned with Yaz and similar birth control pills after several studies indicated these drugs may increase patients’ risk for blood clots.
One such study that followed 329,995 women in Israel found the blood clot risk for women taking drospirenone-containing birth control pills to be over 40 percent higher than the risk for women taking other birth control pills. Another study published by the British Medical Journal suggested these new generation birth control pills may double one’s risk of developing blood clots in the lungs. The most recent FDA-funded study found a 75 percent higher risk of blood clots for women taking Yasmin than for women taking older birth control pills. If you or a loved one suffered a blood clot while taking drospirenone-containing birth control pills, contact an experienced drug attorney to learn about your legal rights.
Yaz stood out in 2008 as a top seller in the birth control market, but as concerns grew that new generation birth control pills may increase one’s risk of developing blood clots, its prescriptions fell by more than 80 percent during the last two years. Now, the manufacturers of Yaz and similar medications will have to include blood clot risk information on the packaging to let users know it may be a potentially dangerous drug. The FDA has yet to set a timetable for the labeling changes.
The FDA panel previously voted 15-11 that drospirenone-containing birth control pills remain a beneficial contraceptive choice. The panelists who voted against the new generation pills cited numerous alternative options, which pose less of a risk. It appears that for now, Yaz will not be subject to a drug recall. Just because a medication is not a recalled drug does not mean it is safe for everyone, however. Defective drugs harm people all the time. When you are prescribed a new medication, you should discuss potential risks and side effects with your doctor or pharmacist to minimize your risk for drug-related complications. If you or a loved one was harmed by Yaz or any dangerous drug on the market, contact a qualified drug lawyer to determine if you may have a personal injury claim.