KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 7, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Peterson & Associates, P.C. (www.petersonlawfirm.com) announces that it is continuing to investigate claims involving the Ortho Evra(r) Birth Control Patch. Recently, Peterson & Associates, P.C. filed three lawsuits on behalf of three women who claimed to be injured by the Ortho Evra(r) Birth Control Patch naming Johnson & Johnson, Inc. and Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical as Defendants. The maker of the drug, Ortho McNeil Pharamceutical, a division of Johnson & Johnson, warns that the Ortho Evra(r) Birth Control Patch may cause an increased risk of blood clot related injuries such as heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary emboli and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
On November 10, 2005, Ortho McNeil and the FDA issued a warning about the increased risks of blood clots associated with using the Ortho Evra(r) Patch. In the new warning, Ortho McNeil admitted that women who use the Ortho Evra(r) Patch are exposed to up to 60% more estrogen than women who use the birth control pill. The FDA announcement can be found at www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2005/NEW01262.html. In 2001, when Ortho Evra(r) was first put on the market, Ortho McNeil represented that women on the patch are exposed to the same amount of estrogen as those who take the birth control pill.
The Ortho Evra(r) Patch is an adhesive, transdermal birth control patch that is worn on a woman's arm, abdomen, torso or buttocks. It is intended to administer 150 mcg of norelgestromin and 20 mcg of ethinyl estradiol into the bloodstream per 24 hours. The patch is worn for one week and then replaced. No patch is worn in the fourth week during menstruation. Over 4 million women have used the Ortho Evra(r) Birth Control Patch.
It is alleged that Ortho McNeil and its parent company Johnson & Johnson were aware of the increased medical risks associated with Ortho Evra(r) before the drug was approved by the FDA. It is also alleged that even after the drug was approved, both companies failed to adequately warn patients about the risks. Evidence allegedly shows that the risk of developing blood clots and injuries caused by them (such as strokes), is significantly higher using the Ortho Evra(r) Patch versus the birth control pill.
The FDA logged 9,116 reports of adverse reactions to Ortho Evra(r) in the seventeen month period from April 2002 through September 2003. By way of comparison, the leading oral contraceptive, Ortho Tri-Cyclen(r) (which has six times as many users as Ortho Evra(r)), only generated 1,237 adverse event reports to the FDA during the six year period from November 1997 through September 2003.
One of the lawsuits filed by Peterson & Associates, P.C on behalf of a 46-year-old woman who suffered a stroke after using the Ortho Evra(r) Birth Control Patch for only three months, alleges that Johnson & Johnson and Ortho McNeil failed to adequately warn the woman of the risks associated with the patch. A second lawsuit filed is on behalf of a 20-year-old woman who suffered a pulmonary embolism after being on the patch for only six months.
A third lawsuit filed by Peterson & Associates, P.C. alleges that the death of a 27-year-old woman was caused by the Ortho Evra(r) Birth Control Patch. The suit was brought by the woman's mother who is seeking damages from Johnson & Johnson to support the woman's two young children.
"It is a real tragedy what has happened to these three women, and to countless women throughout the country who have suffered injuries while on the Ortho Evra(r) Patch," David M. Peterson, president of Peterson & Associates, P.C stated after filing the lawsuits in New Jersey Court.
If you or someone you know has experienced blood clots such as heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary emboli or deep vein thrombosis while using the Ortho Evra Birth Control patch, please contact Peterson & Associates, P.C. at 1-800-305-7552 for a free case evaluation or go to www.petersonlawfirm.com
About Peterson & Associates, P.C.
Peterson & Associates, P.C. is a leading products liability and personal injury law firm that has collected over $300 million in settlements and judgments for its clients. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri on the Country Club Plaza, Peterson & Associates, P.C., represents clients nationwide. Under the guidance of the firm's president, David M. Peterson, Peterson & Associates, P.C. has collected compensation for thousands of clients who have suffered injuries from using dangerous medications. The Firm is currently representing individuals injured by Vioxx(r) Bextra(r) Celebrex(r) Zyprexa(r) ACE Inhibitors, Fen-Phen and exposure to Benzene. For more information on Peterson & Associates, P.C., please visit www.petersonlawfirm.com or call 1-800-305-7552 or 816-531-4440.