Ortho Evra

Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Law Firm

Ortho Evra

In 2001, Ortho McNeil, a pharmaceutical subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, came out with the first birth control patch for women. The patch was created to take the place of regular birth control pills. It was applied weekly and each patch released a progestin hormone and an estrogen hormone through the top layer of the skin. It was absorbed into the blood stream and was effective in preventing pregnancies. It was approved by the FDA in November of that year.

The patch was applied to the women's lower abdomen or buttocks or even the upper body area but it was not to be applied to the breasts. The patch was worn for a week and then replaced with another patch at the same time the first patch had been applied. This was repeated until the fourth week when the women did not apply a patch and was able to have a regular menstrual cycle.

Just as there are risks involved in using birth control pills, there were some risks involved with the use of the Ortho Evra patch. Some of the risks were an increased risk of blood clots, the chance of a heart attack and even stroke. There was a warning on the label that smoking cigarettes would increase the risk of cardiovascular side effects.

There were 44 reports of blood clots related to the patch the first year it came onto the market. There have been reports of at least 29 women who have died as a result of using the birth control patch.

Women who use the Ortho Evra patch receive around 60 percent more estrogen than women who use a regular birth control pill. And estrogen is the cause of increased blood clots and other side effects. Even though Ortho McNeil and the FDA were aware of the risks nothing was done until the first fatality was documented. In April of 2004, the Ortho Evra patch was blamed for the blood clot that killed an 18-year old New York student.

By November 2005, Ortho McNeil put out a warning to women that the Ortho Evra patch increased their risk of getting blood clots. The company was afraid of funding a study to compare the risks of using the Ortho Evra patch to using the Ortho-Cyclen birth control pill that the company manufactures. It claims that it tested the patch on 3,000 women before marketing the patch.

If you have used the Ortho Evra patch or are still using it and have experienced any serious side effects as a result, please consult our firm, Napoli Bern Ripka. We have been handling medical cases that include serious side effects, injuries and even death as a result of using certain FDA approved drugs.

If you live in New York you can make an appointment to come to our office which is located in the Empire State building. We also have offices throughout the country. We are committed to helping our clients realize the justice that they deserve.

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