Yaz Lawyers Consider Ocella Lawsuits In Light of Supreme Court Ruling
Yaz lawyers believe that the generic birth control pill Ocella may be exempt from the Supreme Court’s recent blanket ruling in regard to the liability of generic drug makers. Ocella is a generic version of Yasmin, which like Yaz is a controversial one-a-day oral contraceptive known to cause dangerous side effects such as Yaz and Yasmin blood clots.
Ocella side effects and manufacturer identical to Yaz
Ocella is unique among Yaz and Yasmin generics in that it is manufactured by Bayer, the same parent company that makes the brand name drug it duplicates. As a result, Yaz lawyers contest that because drug maker Bayer is responsible for the side effects labels on both Yasmin and Ocella, they are also just as liable for those labels’ inadequate warnings about the risks involved in taking the contraceptives.
In June 2011 the federal Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Pliva Inc. v. Mensing that generic drug companies are not liable for inadequate side effects warnings to patients and doctors as long as the generic warning labels are exactly identical to the labels of the brand name medications they clone.
Thousands of Yaz lawsuits consolidated in Illinois
Approximately 6000 lawsuits filed by a Yasmin and Yaz lawyer are currently pending in a federal court in Illinois after being consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) for the purpose of streamlining pretrial processes.
In an April 2011 pretrial order meant to clarify certain Yasmin and Yaz lawsuit information, MDL Judge Herndon confirmed that both Barr Laboratories, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. have authorized distribution agreements with Bayer in regard to Ocella. In other words, Bayer agreed to manufacture the generic Ocella tablets, and then provide them to Barr and Teva for distribution to the US market. This distribution arrangement between the three drug companies was established in June of 2008.
Yaz litigators not certain of Safyral exemption status
Yaz lawyers are uncertain if Safyral, another Yasmin generic manufactured by Bayer, will also share Ocella’s exempt status. Unlike Ocella, Safyral is not an exact clone of Yasmin, but also contains folate supplements meant to lower the risk of birth defects in pregnancies occurring during or just after the use of a combined estrogen & drospirenone birth control regimen.
While Yasmin is prescribed only to prevent pregnancy, Yaz is approved by the FDA to also treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a more severe version of PMS, as well as acne. Yasmin contains slightly higher amounts of estrogen than Yaz.
Patients seeking Yaz lawsuit information from an experienced Yaz lawyer have learned that Yaz and Yasmin generics, such as Ocella, Zarah, Gianvi and Loryna, are just as likely as the brand names to cause not only Yaz and Yasmin blood clots, but also related side effects such as heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, gallbladder disease, and pancreatitis. Yaz lawyers have also filed lawsuits on behalf of clients who developed psychological disorders as a result of using the birth control pills, including depression, panic disorder, and suicidal behavior.
