Ortho Evra Patch Makers Settling Cases

DANVILLE, Calif., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Ortho Evra is an adhesive,
transdermal birth control patch. It is intended to release 150 mcg of
norelgestromin and 20 mcg of ethinyl estradiol into the bloodstream per
24 hours. It is replaced once a week for three weeks, and no patch is worn
during the fourth week. Ortho Evra was approved by the FDA in November 2001,
and over 4 million women have used Ortho Evra since its approval. Ortho Evra
continues to be marketed aggressively to both consumers and physicians.
Evidence shows that Ortho Evra is dangerous and should be recalled from
the market. Studies found that women using the Ortho Evra birth control patch
were twice as likely to develop blood clots compared with those using oral
birth control pills.
As a result of these studies, The Food and Drug Administration updated
Ortho Evra's warning language to reflect that women using the patch faced
twice the risk of blood clots as women on the pill.
This is not the first time there have been changes made to the warnings
about Ortho Evra's risks. The first warning about the increased risks of
blood clots associated with Ortho Evra was issued on November 10, 2005. In
that warning, Ortho-McNeil, one of the manufacturers of Ortho Evra, admitted
for the first time that women who use the patch will be exposed to up to 60%
more estrogen than those taking a birth control pill with 35 micrograms of
estrogen. The patch is only intended to deliver 20 micrograms of estrogen.
It is alleged that Ortho-McNeil was aware of the increased medical risks
associated with Ortho Evra before the drug was approved and that, once
approved, the company failed to adequately warn patients about these risks.
Evidence shows that the risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke
associated with Ortho Evra is significantly higher than with oral
contraceptive pills.
The contraceptive patch continues to be aggressively marketed using
Olympic athletes, sexy ads and fashion models despite having been linked to
many deaths.
Approximately 4 million women have used the Ortho Evra Patch since it went
on sale in 2002. Doctors who reviewed the reports commented that they were
alarmed at the number of fatalities. Side effects associated with the Ortho
Evra Patch include:

-- DVT (Deep Venous Thrombosis) -- Heart Attack
-- PE (Pulmonary Embolism) -- Stroke
-- Blood Clots -- Death

The first fatality publicly blamed on the Ortho Evra patch came in
April 2005, when an 18 year old Manhattan fashion student collapsed in a city
subway station. An autopsy found a blood clot had moved into the victim's
lung, and the medical examiner ruled that the clot was a side effect of the
birth control device.
FDA records show that many patch users between the ages of 17 and 30 have
suffered fatal heart attacks, blood clots and possible strokes since
August 2002. Regardless of it's link to life threatening diseases, the
manufacturers of the Ortho Evra Patch have continued to aggressively market
the patch as a convenient alternative to oral birth control pills.
The makers of the Ortho Evra Patch, Johnson & Johnson and Ortho-McNeil,
are currently settling cases. Contact Alexander Hawes, LLP now for a free,
private consultation. State laws may prohibit your time to pursue legal
action. For more information please contact Alexander Hawes, LLP, toll free at
(800) 511-3838 or go to here.
SOURCE Alexander Hawes, LLP

Alexander Hawes, LLP, 1-800-511-3838