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ORTHO EVRA
The Ortho Evra transdermal birth control patch was first introduced in 2002 by Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc. as an alternative to the birth control pill. The patch, as it came to be called, was purported to be as effective at preventing unwanted pregnancy as traditional oral contraceptives, but offered the added convenience of a once a week application rather than a daily pill.
This combination of convenience and effectiveness made Ortho Evra one of the most prescribed types of birth control in the nation, and over four million women have used the patch as their sole means of preventing pregnancy.
On September 20, 2006, results of a new study were released that confirmed previous studies showing an increased risk of blood clots associated with the use of Ortho Evra versus oral contraceptives. The study found that women using Ortho Evra were twice as likely to develop blood clots as those using oral contraceptive pills. As a result, the FDA has asked Ortho McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson, to update the safety label on Ortho Evra to warn users about the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
In 2005, the FDA stated that women using Ortho Evra are exposed to approximately 60 percent more estrogen than those who use oral contraceptive pills. It is believed that the difference in exposure is related to the delivery mechanism of the birth control patch. Hormones in birth control pills are partially diluted by the digestive system. However, hormones in Ortho Evra are absorbed directly into the blood stream, which causes a higher concentration of the medication to enter a patient's body. It is believed that high levels of estrogen can greatly increase the risk of developing blood clots, heart attacks, strokes and other serious injuries.
Approximately 4 million women have used the Ortho Evra Patch since it went on sale in 2002. As of November 2005, the FDA had received twenty-one reports of life-threatening blood clots and other ailments associated with the use of Ortho Evra. FDA records obtained by the Associated Press showed that seventeen patch users between the ages of 17 and 30 suffered fatal heart attacks, blood clots and possible strokes since August 2002.
The manufacturers of Ortho Evra have aggressively marketed the patch as a convenient alternative to oral birth control pills. The drug's original safety label stated that the patch's health risks were similar to those related to oral contraceptives, even though a recent whistleblower suit alleges that the company was well aware that the birth control patch could cause high rates of blood clots.
Millions of women continue to use the patch without fully comprehending the dangers to which they are exposed.
The known Ortho Evra injury list includes these injuries:
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Ischemic Strokes
- Myocardial Infarction
- Other blood clots
If you or a loved one has been injured by using the Ortho Evra Patch please call Khorrami Pollard & Abir, LLP, for a free evaluation
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