A heartbreaking new story has emerged in the ongoing case against the makers of the oral contraceptive Yaz. Rebecca Anderson-Hull has joined those filing lawsuits against Bayer Pharmaceuticals, claiming that it was the contraceptive that ultimately led to the thickening of her blood and the pulmonary embolism that caused her to suffer extensive brain damage from oxygen deprivation.
Rebecca now requires the full-time supervision of her family. She has trouble walking, and finds it difficult to speak or think clearly. But when asked her opinion on the matter, she unequivocally states that she believes Bayer knew the risks of the medicine she was prescribed, and that the company is to blame for not just her current plight, but also for the burden it has placed on her beloved family.
Rebecca was on Yaz for two years before the incident took place. Many patients in the lawsuits that have followed have confirmed similar stories. The illness and results take a long time to build up, not occurring as an immediate side effect, which has obscured the extent of the danger and limited the understanding of those seeking to respond to it.
Part of the case rests on the fact that the FDA had repeatedly warned Bayer about the misleading nature of their advertisements for Yaz and its sister drug, Yasmin. Two letters have been sent to Bayer about its promotional materials. The first cited Bayer for misleading advertising practices directly, as in their “balloons” commercial that claimed Yaz was effective for uses that it had not been approved for. The second letter addressed Bayer’s release of information on studies, which the FDA says had improperly presented the data involved. Most studies explain each individual batch of cases, but the Bayer study averaged out the results so as to disguise certain study results, FDA says.
The case has not been scheduled for any specific date, but is likely to be considered along with the many others currently in process.
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