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A teenager who developed severe blood clots in her left leg after using the widely prescribed birth control patch Ortho Evra has filed a lawsuit against the drug maker Ortho McNeil, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
Seventeen-year-old Katy McKellips Braman used Ortho Evra in 2004 for a little over one month when she noticed her left leg had begun to swell. The swelling continued to get worse during the next several days before she went to the doctors, according to the lawsuit.
Physicians diagnosed Braman with deep vein thrombosis—in which blood clots in the leg can easily detach and pass to the lungs, oftentimes causing fatal consequences.
Braman was taken to the hospital where she was treated for her condition. She is currently required to take medication every day to stop her blood from clotting excessively. Furthermore, the suit claims Braman will never be able to take any drugs that contain estrogen including birth control pills or treatments for hormonal imbalances or menopause.
The lawsuit alleges that Ortho McNeil and Johnson & Johnson failed to adequately test the patch for safety before they released it to the public. It also contends that consumers were misled into believing Ortho Evra posed the same rate of risks and benefits as other forms of birth control such as the pill.
However, a 2005 investigation found that the Ortho Evra birth control patch exposes women to nearly 60 percent more estrogen than the birth control pill, significantly increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and death.
The Food and Drug Administration ordered Ortho McNeil last month to add a new label warning to the patch alerting doctors and patients of the increased risks.
Braman''s lawsuit is only one of hundreds filed all over the country.
Harmed by Ortho Evra? Please contact us today to consult with a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney who can protect your legal rights and help you get the compensation you are entitled for your losses.