Why are lawsuits being filed against the makers of the Ortho Evra patch?
On November 14, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified healthcare professionals and patients of revisions to the label for Ortho Evra, a skin patch approved for birth control. A woman on Ortho Evra may be exposed to approximately 60% more estrogen than if she were taking a typical 35 microgram estrogen birth control pill. Estrogen use is linked to blood clots in the legs and lungs and other clotting problems such as strokes and heart attacks. The change included a bolded warning about higher exposure to estrogen for women using the weekly patch compared to taking a daily birth control pill containing 35 micrograms of estrogen.
