Beginning in January, Johnson & Johnson has been settling lawsuits with about 30 women who have claimed to have developed blood clots as a result of the contraceptive patch Ortho Evra. In November of last year it was announced that the birth control patch may cause clots and expose women to 60% more hormones than the ordinary birth control pill. A study release February supported this evidence in stating that the patch was twice as likely to cause blood clots as the pill. Johnson & Johnson has decided that the cost of supporting cases against overwhelming evidence would be greater than a final confidential settlement. Spokeswoman Julie Keenan of the Ortho Women’s Health and Urology unit, a division of J&J;’s Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc., will not comment on the Ortho Evra lawsuits.
Johnson & Johnson has been dubbed the “anti-Merck” as their stance on litigation is dramatically different than the defective drug Vioxx manufacturer Merck & Co. The drug manufacturer Merck has been faced with over 11,500 suits without reaching a mass settlement.
If you or someone you know has been injured due to a defective product such as Ortho Evra or Vioxx, please contact a personal injury lawyer today.
