Mirena IUD Parent Company Named in Lawsuit

 Posted on January 19, 2014 in Defective Medical Devices

An intrauterine device (IUD) is a commonly preferred method of birth control used by many women, suggested for use in women who have had at least one child. According to WebMD, “an IUD is a small, T-shaped plastic device that is wrapped in copper or contains hormones.” It is implanted into the uterus by a medical professional, and stays in place, releasing hormones on a schedule for up to five years. Mirena is a popular hormonal IUD that “releases levonorgestrel, which is a form of the hormone progestin.” It is expected to be quite an effective method of birth control—according to WebMD, it “prevents fertilization by damaging or killing sperm.”

About one year ago, however, it was announced that the side effects of Mirena were severe enough to issue widespread warnings about its use. According to the Adverse Events Report and as reported by PRWeb.com, “the FDA has disclosed receiving over 45,000 AERS reports of women suffering complications while using the Mirena IUD.” The severe side effects reported by Mirena users included “device expulsion, device dislocation, and vaginal hemorrhage. In more than 6 percent of cases, patients required hospitalization or surgery,” PRWeb.com reports.

Since its approval by the FDA, many women have come forward and demanded justice for the damage Mirena caused to them. According to a different PRWeb.com report, “recent figures provided by the U.S. Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation show that there are currently at least 267 federal Mirena IUD lawsuits involving these allegations.” One woman in New Jersey who had to undergo surgery because of complications of her Mirena IUD named parent company Bayer in her suit. “As Bayer faces growing litigation over the Mirena contraceptive,” PRWeb.com reports, it has requested the lawsuits be examined in a court close to their U.S. headquarters in Middlesex, NJ.

If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by the implementation of Mirena or any other reason, the most important first step is to seek legal counsel. If you are considering a defective medical device case in Illinois, contact Newland & Newland, LLP today.