See: YazDidBad.com

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella – What Makes them Different? Why are they more dangerous?

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella (the generic version of Yasmin) are considered to be “combination” birth control pills.
Combination birth control pills contain two types of hormones: estrogen and progestin.

Yaz and Yasmin and the generic Ocella, contain a relatively new type of progestin hormone known as drospirenone, or “DRSP” and a type of estrogen called ethinyl estradiol.

While drug companies cannot patent a natural hormone (which means they cannot make money from a natural hormone) they can patent a synthetic hormone. And they did.

Now the issue becomes why would any one take a pill with no greater advantage than a natural hormone and more risk?

Answer: Because Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella were marketed to have additional benefits — Because Bayer wanted to sell a product that was patentable and make more money.

Are these pills still being sold?

Yes, and they have been the leading money maker for Bayer according to their Third Quarter 10K Filing with the Security and Exchange Commission here in the United States.

Within Bayer HealthCare, sales of pharmaceutical leading products grew by 4.2% year over with birth control pill Yasmin remaining the company’s top-selling drug with sales reaching 320 million euro, up 3.9% year over year.

Bayer AG Gross Revenue

Third Quarter 2008: $445M USD
Third Quarter 2009: $462M USD

First Nine Months 2008: $1.3B USD
First Nine Months 2009: $1.4B USD

Reporting by Consumers

MedWatch is the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) program for reporting drug quality issues.
You may complete the Online Reporting Form.

There are two alternate routes for submitting an adverse event report:

Download a copy of the form and either fax it to 1-800-FDA-0178 or mail it using the postage-paid addressed form on their website.
Call FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report by telephone

FDA’s information line, 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) Press 2, followed by 1 for information, for drug products, select 3.

Social Security Claims and Impairment

Yes, you may file a claim for Social Security Disability and sue Bayer and/or Barr.

DRSP (Drospirenone) May Cause More Serious Health Risks

The problem is that medical studies have shown that birth controls containing DRSP may cause more serious health risks than other birth control pills AND they are no more effective than pills containing a natural hormone.

A Dutch medical study and a Danish medical study, concluded that birth control pills containing DRSP have a higher risk of causing thrombosis or a blot clots.

The FDA has warned that women with high levels of potassium levels shouldn’t take Yaz or Yasmin because DRSP may also cause an increase in potassium, which can be life-threatening.

Yaz® and Yasmin®?

Yaz® and Yasmin® are manufactured and marketed by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals or Bayer AG which is a German Company and traded on the Frankfurt Exchange.

Ocella, the generic version of Yasmin is made by Barr Pharmaceutical and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol: BRL.

FDA Approval for Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved :

Yasmin® in 2001;
Yaz® approved in 2006
Ocella approved in 2008
Yaz®, Yasmin®, and Ocella® Health Effects

Blood clots
Deep vein thrombosis
Strokes
Heart attacks
Gall bladder damage
Kidney problems
Sudden cardiac death

The Difference between Yaz and Yasmin

Yaz®, Yasmin®, and Ocella® are the only birth control pills sold in the U.S. that contain drospirenone and estrogen.

Yaz® and Yasmin® contain nearly the same active ingredients:

Ethinyl estradiol, an estrogen component and
Drospirenone, a progestin.

Yaz® and Yasmin® are the only brand name birth control pills on the market with this combination of hormonal ingredients. Ocella, is the generic version of Yasmin.

The difference between Yasmin® and Yaz® are their progestin ingredient: drospirenone is a fourth generation progestin that is not found in other birth control pills sold in the U.S.

Drospirenone or DRSP Is a Diuretic

Drospirenone, the progestin component in Yaz®, Yasmin®, and Ocella®, is a diuretic– any drug or natural aid that promotes the formation of urine and excretion of water from the body. It can also contribute to heart rhythm disturbances, increased blood potassium levels called hyperkaelemia, and can cause sudden death.

Drospirenone can also contribute to severe gallbladder problems in very young women, necessitating gallbladder removal.

It is believed that drospirenone, when combined with estrogen, has adverse effects that are more dangerous than earlier generations of oral contraceptives.

FDA Adverse Event Database

The FDA Adverse Event Database reveals a substantial number of serious adverse events associated with these drugs, including more than 59 deaths where the women were taking Yaz®, Yasmin®, or Ocella®.

Manufacturers of prescription drugs have a duty to patients to produce safe products, and to warn patients and their doctors of any adverse health effects.

In lawsuits filed against Bayer by patients represented by patients allege that Bayer sold Yaz®, Yasmin®, and Ocella® without adequate warnings about the increased risk of serious injuries and, specifically, failed to warn doctors and patients that Yaz® and Yasmin® are more dangerous than other oral birth control pills on the market.

It is believed Bayer improperly advertised and over-promoted Yaz® for uses such as treating acne and PMDD, while knowing that the risks of such use outweighed any benefits Yaz® may have for acne sufferers and those with symptoms of PMDD.

FDA Death Count: 59 and Rising

What is MedWatch?

MedWatch is the FDA Search System for finding clinically important safety information and reporting serious problems with human medical products.

See FDA: FDA Adverse Event Database
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

Standard Birth Control Pill Risk

Doctors and researchers have found that women taking estrogen which is the basic ingredient in birth control pills, increased their risk of developing blood clots.

Blood clots in coronary arteries can cause heart attacks. Blood clots in the legs can cause pain, break off and travel to the lungs where they can cause potentially fatal blood clots in the lungs called pulmonary emboli. Blood clots traveling to the brain can cause strokes, and deaths. If the blood clots go undetected or untreated, they can be lethal.

See: YazDidBad.com