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The mother of a woman who suffered fatal side effects after using the popular birth control patch Ortho Evra has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the drug maker, claiming the patch caused her daughter''s death.
The manufacturer of the birth control patch, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Co., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, and the distributor McKesson Corp., are named defendants in the lawsuit.
Details of the Case
In April 2003, 26-year-old Celena Devault began wearing the Ortho Evra birth control patch. Two months later, she died after suffering blood clots and pulmonary embolism.
The wrongful death suit claims that Ortho-McNeil intentionally deceived doctors and patients about the severe risks associated with the patch such as heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolisms, blood clots, and deep vein thrombosis.
“We believe that Ortho-McNeil knew of the dangers of the Ortho patch sold in the U.S. and chose to ignore them,” said plaintiff attorney Brian Kabateck. “Patches sold in other countries, including Canada, actually contain a smaller, less dangerous dosage. Now, young women across the country are suffering serious illness and even death,” he added.
Ortho Evra Risks
Ortho Evra was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2001. The contraceptive works by delivering estrogen and progestin directly into the bloodstream by way of the skin.
In 2005, reports indicated that patch users are exposed to 60 percent more estrogen than those taking oral contraceptives, tripling the risk of developing blood clots or suffering death.
Nearly a dozen women in 2004 died from blood clots believed to have been caused by Ortho Evra. Many more have suffered severe strokes and other clot-related complications.
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