Yaz Information

Yaz is a combination birth control pill that contains drospirenone (3mg) and ethinyl estradiol (.02mg).  Yaz birth control pills, marketed by Bayer Corporation, were originally approved for marketing by the FDA in 2006.  Yaz is considered a "fourth generation" oral contraceptive because of its use of the progestin, drospirenone.  Drosprirenone (drsp) is not used in other combination oral contraceptives on the market in the United States.

Yaz is said to have a prothombotic effect which can result in pulmonary embolism, stroke or DVT.  Experts believe the reason Yaz has a prothombotic effect is because drospirenone is a diuretic which can cause an increase in potassium. Unsafe levels of potassium in the blood, also known as hyperkalemia, can disrupt heart rhythms and slow the flow of blood. This can lead to blood clotting.

Yaz has also been linked to serious gallbladder damage. Because you lose water due to the drosperinone's diuretic effect, you develop sludge or bile that injures the gallbladder.

Bayer aggressively marketed Yaz following its FDA approval in 2006.  Bayer's advertising campaign characterized Yaz birth control pills as the "pill that goes beyond the rest."  The direct-to-consumer advertisements also promised additional benefits beyond unwanted pregnancies.  The advertisements claimed that Yaz and Yasmin are as safe as other types of birth control pills.  Bayer's slick marketing campaign made Yaz/Yasmin the best-selling oral birth control pill in the United States in 2009. 

In October 2008, the FDA's Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications warned Bayer that two of its direct-to-consumer television advertisements violated the FDCA. The FDA found that the T.V. ads were misleading because they minimized the serious risks associated with the use of Yaz.  After Bayer received this letter and as part of a settlement with the FDA and 27 states, Bayer agreed to spend at least $20 million on an ad campaign to correct the deceptive ads it had been running.

If you or a loved one has suffered a stroke, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), gallbladder disease or removal after using Yaz, contact the Yaz lawyers at the Jackson Allen Williams, LLP now for a free Yaz lawsuit consultation.