Yaz Blood Clot Settlements Top $1.4B, Thousands of Cases Remain

Bayer is reporting that it has paid out at least $1.4 billion to settle more than 6,700 Yaz lawsuits and Yasmin lawsuits that alleged users suffered a pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis or other blood clot-related injury. However, the drug maker continues to face thousands of additional cases involving the birth control pills that have not yet resolved.  

According to information disclosed in a second-quarter financial report, Bayer states that there are about 5,400 product liability lawsuits involving Yaz or Yasmin that have not yet been settled.

The $1.4 billion reported only includes Yaz and Yasmin settlements reached in cases involving a venous clot injury, which are being resolved after a case-specific review of medical records on a rolling basis.

In addition to the blood clot settlements, Bayer has also agreed to pay up to $24 million to settle lawsuits involving gallbladder injuries associated with the use of Yaz or Yasmin. As of July 8, the drug maker reports that about 8,800 women who filed a Yaz gallbladder case have decided to participate in the settlement, which means that the required 90% participation rate has been med by plaintiffs to allow that deal to go forward.

Of the remaining 5,400 cases that have not been settled, Bayer estimates that about half of the cases involve Yaz blood clot injuries, such as a pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. The drug maker is continuing to consider settling such lawsuits on a case-by-case basis.

All of the claims involve similar allegations, claiming that Bayer failed to adequately research the potential side effects of Yaz and Yasmin, or warn about the increased risk of blood clots compared to certain older birth control pills.

The popular birth control pills contain the fourth-generation progestin drospirenone, which has been linked to a substantially higher blood clot risk. However, initial warnings provided to women using Yaz and Yasmin failed to adequately reflect this risk, according to allegations raised by thousands of former users.

In the federal court system, the Yaz and Yasmin litigation has been consolidated as part of an MDL in the Southern District of Illinois, which grew at one point to become the largest consolidated litigation in the United States, with the total number of active cases surpassing the asbestos litigation last year.