The Dangers of Ortho Evra
On September 28, 2009, Adrianna Duffy, a freshman in college who was a top student athlete and considered in perfect health when she started taking Ortho Evra, died suddenly. Like many other women prescribed the birth control patch, Duffy suffered the dangerous side effect of blood clots, and in an instant, she was gone. Despite its severe risks, Ortho Evra remains on the market in the United States, and some doctors continue to prescribe it over conventional birth control pills. If you have suffered blood clots, stroke, heart attack or other serious side effects while taking Ortho Evra, an experienced Washington DC injury attorney can review your case and determine if a lawsuit may be pursued on your behalf.
Ortho Evra entered the market in 2002, offering women the choice of a once-a-week birth control patch in lieu of a daily birth control pill. Since that time, doctors have written nearly 40 million prescriptions for Ortho Evra, according to NBC News. The widely popular patch has come under fire, however, due to the health risks it poses to women. In November 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered that the maker of Ortho Evra, Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson, warn users that the patch exposes them to significantly higher doses of hormones than traditional birth control pills and puts them at greater risk for blood clots and other serious side effects, including stroke and heart attack. Specifically, the patch exposes patients to 60 percent more estrogen than does the pill. Patients injured by the high level of estrogen delivered through the patch can learn about their legal rights from a knowledgeable Boston injury attorney.
According to NBC News, patient reports between 2002 and 2004 indicate that Ortho Evra is 12 times more likely to cause strokes and 18 times more likely to cause blood clots than the conventional birth control pill. Unlike the pill, which quickly dissolves into a patient's system, the patch keeps estrogen flowing into the bloodstream for an entire week. Although patch-related risks are greater for women over 35 and those who smoke cigarettes, the patch can harm even young women in good health. Patients harmed by the patch need a Washington DC injury lawyer.
Last September, NBC News reported that Johnson & Johnson might have known for years about the deadly risks of Ortho Evra. Internal documents from the company show that one former vice president resigned because he believed the company ignored compelling evidence about Ortho Evra's high estrogenic exposure and high rate of fatalities. Another former vice president filed a lawsuit claiming he was unlawfully terminated after blowing the whistle on the patch's dangerously high levels of estrogen before Ortho Evra was introduced on the market. If you or a loved one has been harmed by Ortho Evra, contact an experienced Boston injury lawyer to discuss how Johnson & Johnson's alleged negligence in its handling of this dangerous drug may entitle you to compensation.