Bayer Settles 3,490 Yaz and Yasmin Lawsuits with More Than 8,000 Remaining

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Nov 14, 2012, 03:08 ET

CRESSKILL, N.J., Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer has spent about $750 million to settle 3,490 lawsuits, half of the cases lodged by Yasmin™ and YAZ™ oral contraceptives plaintiffs suffering from deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to the company's third quarter stockholder report. But settling the Yasmin™ and YAZ™ lawsuits is far from over. An estimated 3,800 more suits alleging deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolisms remain to be settled, which may bring the total cost of the litigation up to $1.5 billion. And Bayer has yet to address almost 5,000 more suits claiming Yasmin™ and YAZ™ caused other injuries including gall bladder problems and sudden death. More than 12,000 suits have been lodged against Bayer, with more being lodged daily, surpassing asbestos as the largest pending litigation in the United States. Even when the settlement amounts have been established, payout can take months if not years. Yasmin™ and YAZ™ plaintiffs and their attorneys are urged to contact RD Legal Funding, LLC ("RD Legal") for immediate post-settlement financing.

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The German chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer—famous for its 1897 invention of aspirin—brought the oral contraceptives YAZ™ to the market in 2001 and Yasmin™ in 2006. YAZ™, Yasmin™, the generic formulation called Ocella, and a newly approved hormonal product for menopause called Angeliq, contain drospirenone, a synthetic form of progestin. Drospirenone increases levels of potassium in the blood, a condition called hyperkalemia, which if unchecked, leads to heart rhythm disturbances. This slowing down of the flow of blood through the heart can cause blood clots to form, leading to heart attacks, pulmonary embolus (if the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs) or stroke (if the clot travels to the brain).

Thanks in part to multi-million dollar ad campaigns promoting the drugs to women under 35 as the birth control pill that also combatted premenstrual depression and acne, YAZ™ became the top-selling birth control pill in the U.S., generating $1.58 billion in sales in 2010. YAZ™ and Yasmin™ were also marketed to reduce water retention and bloating often associated with premenstrual disorders.

Plaintiffs claim that Bayer knew, or should have known, of the risks associated with Yasmin™ and YAZ™, and should be held liable for having failed to disclose them or adequately warn users. Deaths reported related to YAZ™ and Yasmin™ included women of child-bearing age as well as some as young as 17. The cases seeking compensatory and punitive damages pending in U.S. federal courts have been consolidated in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceeding for common pre-trial management.

Attorneys representing plaintiffs in the Yaz and Yasmin cases, as well as plaintiffs themselves, should contact RD Legal at 1-800-565-5177 for more information about immediate post-settlement funding. Founded in 1997, RD Legal has established itself as one of the nation's leading providers of lawsuit settlement funding to attorneys and plaintiffs. For more information about RD Legal, please visit http://www.legalfunding.com.

SOURCES:
http://www.stockholders-newsletter-q3-2012.bayer.com/en/bayer-stockholders-newsletter-3q-2012.pdfx

http://www.annualreport2011.bayer.com/en/legal-risks.aspx#32_1

http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/prescription/2683-yazyasmin-lawsuit-claims-birth-control-is-responsible-for-womans-gallbladder-surgery

http://www.yazinjurylawyers.com/yaz-history.html

http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/bayer-settled-yaz-yasmin-lawsuits-36353/

SOURCE RD Legal Funding, LLC