Ortho Evra® Birth Control Patch Increases Blood Clot Risk, Another Study Shows
WASHINGTON, DC — February 24, 2006 — Women using Ortho Evra® birth control patches instead of birth control pills have twice the risk of developing blood clots in their legs and lungs, according to a new study (NY Times, February 18, 2006). The report was released by the patch’s manufacturers, Ortho–McNeil and Ortho Women’s Health and Urology, which are owned by Johnson & Johnson.
Ortho–McNeil also published another study that showed no difference in the number of blood clots among patch users compared to women who used birth control pills. That result is in contrast to an Associated Press (AP) investigation last July of injuries from the patch. Using federal reports, the news service found that patch users died from blood clots at a rate that was three times that of women using birth control pills.
Since last November, the package insert for the Ortho Evra® patch has included a bolded warning about estrogen levels. Ortho–McNeil added the language at the request of the Food and Drug Administration. The insert states that a woman who uses the Ortho Evra® patch is exposed to about 60 percent more total estrogen in her blood than if she were taking a typical birth control pill on a daily basis containing 35 micrograms. Excess estrogen levels have been linked to blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
Side Effects of Ortho Evra® Patch
The patch works by releasing ethinyl estradiol (an estrogen hormone) and norelgestromin (a progestin hormone) through the skin directly into the blood stream. Besides increasing the risk of blood clots, the Ortho Evra® patch may cause breast tenderness, headaches, nausea, menstrual changes and stomach cramps.
For more information about the birth control patch, see the full text of the Ortho Evra® patch package insert. You will need to obtain a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to open this file. If you do not already have this software, you may download a free copy at the Adobe Acrobat web site.
Brayton Purcell is concerned about unsafe drugs, including the Ortho Evra® patch. If you have been injured by this product, or by another harmful drug, please feel free to contact us. We will evaluate your potential case free of charge, answer your questions, and inform you of your legal options. We have been handling medically–related consumer cases for over 20 years and work hard to protect the legal rights of our clients.