YAZ (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) was first introduced to the U.S. market in 2006, though its predecessor, Yasmin, was introduced in 2001. Both are oral contraceptives provided by Bayer Healthcare, differing in that YAZ has a lower level of ethinyl estradiol than Yasmin as well as a different cycle of active and placebo pills. Yasmin was the first birth control pill to use drospirenone.
YAZ works by preventing ovulation and changing the cervical and uterine linings to decrease the likelihood of sperm reaching and fertilizing an egg and the egg attaching to the uterus. When taken as directed, it is said to have an effectiveness rate of 99 percent in preventing pregnancy.
After arriving on the market, it became one of the best-selling oral contraceptives in the U.S. This was due in large part to a wide-scale marketing campaign that emphasized the drug as a “quality of life treatment,” advertised as being less likely to cause bloating or weight gain, having the ability to clear up acne, and alleviating anxious and depressive symptoms associated with PMS and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The FDA responded to this elevated promotion by requesting Bayer release a corrective advertisement. Nevertheless, YAZ remained popular, netting $1.5 billion in sales for Bayer in 2010 as the company’s second best-selling product.
Although all hormone-based contraceptives are found to increase the likelihood of a blood clot and potential for deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, and stroke, oral medications using drospirenone — such as YAZ — were found to have a higher possibility of causing a dangerous thrombotic event than other medications. These findings were published in two studies in the British Medical Journal in 2011.
By the start of 2012, there were approximately 10,000 lawsuits brought against Bayer by patients prescribed YAZ or Yasmin who suffered blood clots, or by the families of those who died while taking either medication. Thousands of these U.S. cases have been settled, although agreements continue to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. In the February 2014 release of Bayer’s 2013 Annual Statement, the company cited payment of more than $1.69 billion across approximately 8,250 cases related to heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis in patients taking YAZ or Yasmin. Around that same time, it was estimated that Bayer still faced more than 4,600 similar cases.
Although most YAZ injury lawsuits are focused on blood clot-related issues, Bayer has also dealt with a category of cases related to gallbladder disease and removal.
To date, more than 100 million women have been prescribed YAZ and Yasmin. YAZ remains one of the most widely used birth control pills in the nation.