Motion Filed to Consolidate Yasmin/YAZ Litigation in Toledo, Ohio

LANCASTER, Pa., July 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Three leading law firms
representing 23 of the 32 filed cases around the country have filed a joint
motion asking that the Yasmin/YAZ product liability litigation be consolidated
and transferred to Chief Judge James G. Carr of the United States District
Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The motion was filed today, July 24,
2009, before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in Washington,
D.C.

The three law firms represent Plaintiffs from across the country who have
suffered injuries, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, heart
attack, stroke, kidney failure, seizures, gall bladder injuries, and death
after using the birth control pills Yasmin/YAZ and Ocella. The three firms and
their lead lawyers handling this litigation are Dianne Nast and Daniel
Gallucci of RodaNast, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Janet Abaray and Michael Burg
of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, Cincinnati, Ohio and Englewood,
Colorado; and David Zoll, Michelle Kranz and Pamela Borgess, Zoll Kranz &
Borgess, Toledo, Ohio.

The Defendants in the cases are Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation and other
Bayer related companies. The FDA issued warning letters to Berlex
Laboratories, the predecessor manufacturer to Bayer, in 2003, ordering the
Defendants to immediately discontinue a television advertisement that promoted
Yasmin's fourth generatio progestin, drospirenone, by stating, "Ask about
Yasmin, and the difference a little chemistry can make." The FDA objected and
stated "FDA is not aware of substantial evidence or clinical experience
demonstrating that Yasmin is superior to other COC's [combination oral
contraceptives] or that the drospirenone in Yasmin is clinically beneficial.
On the contrary, FDA is aware of the added clinical risks associated with
drospirenone."

The FDA issued a second warning letter to Bayer on October 3, 2008, for
another advertisement, this time concerning YAZ. The FDA determined that the
advertisement was misleading because it failed to disclose that "YAZ has
additional risks because it contains the progestin, drospirenone . . ."

Copies of the papers and other information are available as follows:
Janet G. Abaray (513) 852-5600 jabaray@burgsimpson.com
Daniel N. Gallucci (717) 892-3000 dgallucci@rodanast.com
David W. Zoll (419) 841-9623 david@toledolaw.com

SOURCE RodaNast, P.C.

Janet G. Abaray of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, +1-513-852-5600,
jabaray@burgsimpson.com; Daniel N. Gallucci of RodaNast, P.C.,
+1-717-892-3000, dgallucci@rodanast.com; or David W. Zoll of Michelle Kranz
and Pamela Borgess, Zoll Kranz & Borgess, +1-419-841-9623 david@toledolaw.com