Yasmin, Yaz Blood Clot Risk 1.5 to 3 Times Higher Than Other Pills: Canada

Canadian health officials have joined a number of other countries, including the United States, in concluding that the side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills could substantially increase the risk of blood clots when compared to other oral contraceptives. 

Health Canada announced on Monday that it had completed a review of the two Bayer birth control pills, determining that Yaz and Yasmin may increase the risk of blood clots 1.5 to 3 times over some older birth control pills.

As a result of the Yasmin and Yaz blood clot risk, Health Canada has decided to change the labeling of the pills to warn Canadian health care officials to consider the potential for blood clots when prescribing Yaz or Yasmin instead of older birth control pills that use the progestin levonorgestrel.

The conclusions reached by the Canadian health regulators are similar to those of the FDA, which conducted its own review of Yaz and Yasmin and determined they increased the risk of blood clots by 75% and doubled the risk of heart attack or stroke when compared to levonorgestrel-based oral contraceptives.

An FDA advisory panel is scheduled to meet on December 8 to examine the safety of Yaz and Yasmin and make recommendations to the FDA about what regulatory actions, if any, need to be taken to protect U.S. women. While the advisory committee’s recommendations are not binding, they usually weigh heavily in the FDA’s final decisions on what action to take.

Yaz and Yasmin use a newer type of progestin called drospirenone, often referred to as a “fourth generation” progestin, in combination with estrogen.

Drospirenone was originally introduced by Berlex Laboratories in Yasmin. Once Berlex was acquired by Bayer Healthcare an updated version of Yasmin was introduced called Yaz. More recently, Bayer introduced a third version, marketed as Beyaz, which includes a folate supplement. Generic versions of Yaz and Yasmin are also now available from other manufacturers. Generic versions of Yaz and Yasmin include Ocella, Gianvi, Loryna, Safyral, Syeda and Zarah.

As a result of Bayer’s failure to adequately warn about the risk of blood clots from the birth control pills, hundreds of women throughout the United States have filed a Yaz lawsuit or Yasmin lawsuit after suffering serious and potentially life-threatening injuries, such as stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease and sudden death.