Johnson & Johnson

The Ortho Evra patch was originally marketing to young women who were turned off by the notion of taking a once-daily pill for contraception. The patch is replaced after a week. However, the patch was found in some cases to seep too much estrogen into the bloodstream, which can cause serious health problems.

As an emerging pattern of young women suffering from pulmonary embolisms and strokes emerged, health experts began to point fingers at Johnson & Johnson. Despite the settlements in both the U.S. and Canada, the patch is still on the market and doctors are still prescribing it.

Ortho Evra was first approved for marketing and sale in Canada in 2002. Since then, at least 16 cases of blood clots and one heart attack among women who were using the patch have been reported. Two patients died, including a 16-year-old girl, according to Health Canada.

The Canadian lawsuits involve 22 women from Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec; however, anyone else with a valid claim can still come forward and be included in the settlement. The Canadian plaintiffs sought C$400,00 each in compensation and C$20 million in punitive damages.

The lawsuit claims that Johnson & Johnson failed to properly warn patients and doctors that its Ortho Evra contraceptive patch has a higher risk of blood clots, strokes and heart attacks compared to the birth control pill.

An Ontario judge will be asked to end the suit at a hearing March 23.

SOURCE: Ortho Evra and Blood Clots › J&J settles lawsuits with Canadian women harmed by birth control patch

“Another issue is that contraceptive choice isn’t just a clinical decision, it’s a lifestyle one and it should be promoted this way to women much more than it currently is,” says Julie Bentley, Chief Executive of FPA.

Perhaps another reason why women should take a closer look at their birth control method is the potential health risks it may carry. Women simply cannot trust the FDA to ensure the safety of a product. Of particular concern is the Ortho Evra Contraceptive Transdermal Patch. The patch is one of the newer types of birth control targeting younger women who don’t want mess with the hassle of taking a pill everyday.

The patch’s makers, Johnson & Johnson, however, are facing numerous lawsuits from young women or their family members who have suffered serious side effects such as blood clots, strokes and even death. Some of the lawsuits have already been resolved, ending in confidential settlements. Johnson & Johnson says it is ready to work out settlements in the other lawsuits it faces.

Advocacy groups have petitioned the FDA to pull the patches from the marketplace, but the patches are still available and doctors continue to write prescriptions for them.

SOURCE: Ortho Evra and Blood Clots › Women should spend more time weighing risks of birth control options

However, students may want to weigh their contraception options more closely. Johnson & Johnson, the makers of the Ortho Evra contraceptive patch has been riddled with lawsuits claiming the patches cause serious side effects in young women, such as blood clots and even death. The patches reportedly can leak too much estrogen into the bloodstream causing the serious health problems.

According to reports, several lawsuits against the company have already ended with confidential settlements and Johnson & Johnson has already told plaintiffs attorneys that it is ready to work out settlements with the others it faces.

The Ortho Evra patch was originally marketed to women seeking an alternative to the once-daily birth control pill. However, since its debut there has been an emerging pattern of young women suffering from pulmonary embolisms and strokes.

Johnson & Johnson no longer actively markets the patch, but it is still available and has yet to be pulled from the market despite petitions by consumer group Public Citizen to the FDA to remove the product. The group also claims removal of the patch would have an environmental benefit, as the discarded patches could leak contaminants into the environment after they are disposed of by consumers.

SOURCE: Ortho Evra and Blood Clots › TCU students urged to heed contraception patch warnings