NuvaRing® Lawyer - d'Oliveira & Associates, P.C.

NuvaRing side effects include an increased history of Heart Attacks, Blood Clots, and Strokes. We are working with some of the leading NuvaRing attorneys in the United States. A claim and/or NuvaRing lawsuit can be filed on your behalf and there is no fee until you receive an award or a settlement. Contact us for a free consultation online or toll free at 1-800-992-6878.

NuvaRing is a form of birth control that releases a low dose of estrogen and progestin into the blood stream. The birth control prevents ovulation and is delivered in a once monthly ring that is inserted. The combined hormone contraceptives increase the risks of complications and serious side effects. Approximately 1,000 people have filed suit against Merck alleging that NuvaRing seriously injured them.

NuvaRing has been shown to increase the risk and dangerousness of blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. We at d’Oliveira & Associates ask you to share your experience with us and let us help you to ease the stress that comes with being harmed by a pharmaceutical company and NuvaRing. Many women are drawn to NuvaRing because it is easy to use and is not a daily pill. However, many women have been seriously injured by NuvaRing and are bringing legal action against Merck for this product.

NuvaRing Study - PDF

Recently, there has been a lot of information published showing that NuvaRing likely should never have been released onto the market. The Danish study published in the British Journal of Medicine shows that there are serious risks with the NuvaRing birth control device. These risks include: Blood clot, stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, sudden death and heart attack. The problem with NuvaRing is that it was put onto the market without warnings that explain how truly dangerous it is. Many people are frustrated not only because they have been harmed by NuvaRing, but also because if they had been informed of the risks the harm was avoidable by simply using another birth control.

Many young women in their early 20’s have reported suffering from strokes and have been semi-paralyzed. Some of the young women harmed by use of NuvaRing have also died from its use and others have been left paralyzed or with serious side effects that affect their everyday life and it will affect the rest of their lives. Many of these side effects are severe and could easily have been prevented if only the pharmaceutical company had been honest about the side effects and dangers of NuvaRing.

The different types of birth control on the market that are alternatives to NuvaRing that are not nearly as dangerous include:

• Spermicide
• Abstinence
• Cervical Cap
• Vaginal Sponge
• Diaphragm
• Condom
• Birth Control Pills
• The Birth Control Patch
• IUD
• Injections
• Emergency Contraceptive

Many people are discovering this information far too late and after they have already developed serious life threatening side effects. When a woman uses NuvaRing, she is more likely to develop blood clots and to have a stroke. Young women, whom are non-smokers, are healthy and have no known risk of heart attacks, strokes, or blood clots are suffering from these conditions because of NuvaRing. The pharmaceutical company needs to be held accountable for what they have done. Your injuries should be compensated for and an experienced NuvaRing attorney can help you with that. We at d’Oliveira & Associates, P.C. take you and your case very seriously and work very hard to get you the compensation that you deserve.

Although many studies have been published regarding the dangerousness of NuvaRing, doctors still continue to prescribe it to young women who are looking for birth control. They prescribe it to young women even though there are much safer alternatives without explaining all of the possible serious risks. These serious medical complications are entirely preventable and the lawyers at d’Oliveira & Associates are ready to fight for you in order to get you compensated for your injuries. Over the past few years, physicians have continued to write approximately 5.5 million prescriptions for NuvaRing per year. The pharmaceutical company that produces NuvaRing should be held accountable for their lack of regard for the health and safety of the women who are prescribed this medication.

Many people think that because NuvaRing is a newer drug, it is more likely to be safer than older forms of birth control. This has been shown to not be the case. It has actually been shown that because newer forms of birth control introduce a new and additional form of hormone into the body. These new hormones have been shown to produce a higher risk of developing DVT, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, stroke or blood clot.

If you or a loved one has been injured by NuvaRing, you want to speak with an experienced NuvaRing attorney right away. An experienced NuvaRing attorney can help you to make important personal decisions in your life.

NuvaRing Side Effects

Nuvaring has been associated with the change to the blood clotting system. Studies have shown potentially life-threatening blood clots may be caused by the use of the ring.  Some symptoms include leg pains, and red, swollen or warm skin. In some cases, blood clots are also linked to thromboembolic events like pulmonary embolism, deep vein embolism, ischemic stroke, and myocardial infraction. Chest pains, shortness of breath, and palpitations are some of the symptoms that a clot has broken off and has travelled to the lungs. Hormonal birth control that releases estrogen generally carries risks of blood clots, but the use of the third-generation progestin like desogestrel increases the risk of venous thromboembolism, serious blood clots and related conditions.

Nuvaring may also pose other serious risks that include heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, breast or ovarian cancer, gallbladder disease, and migraine headaches.  Since 2008, lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers, distributors and the marketers of the device for the hiding dangerous side effects associated with the use of Nuvaring. If you or a loved one has suffered any of the serious risks associated with the use of this device, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the wrongful advertising of the drug. Manufacturers, distributors and marketers have the duty to disclose the side effects and the risks involved with the use of the any pill, medication, or device.

FDA NuvaRing Reports

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received over 5,000 reports that NuvaRing has caused adverse side effects. These reported side effects range from minor consequences such as headaches to major consequences such as heart attacks. In fact, NuvaRing is included in the class of vaginal ring contraceptives that the FDA has warned can increase the risk of blood clots by 56 percent. In 2010, the FDA gave the Swiss television program, “10vor10,” access to its databank of reports. Through its investigation, the television program discovered that 40 deaths had been linked to NuvaRing.

NuvaRing Medical Studies

In May 2012, the British Journal of Medicine published a NuvaRing medical study conducted by Danish doctors. The doctors analyzed data submitted by over 1.6 million women over a 10-year period. The medical study compared the health consequences of hormonal contraceptives in women taking oral contraceptives and using contraceptive medical devices. The study found that women who took oral contraceptives were two times more likely to experience blood clot related side effects than women who did not take any hormonal contraceptives. Additionally, women who used contraceptive medical devices such as NuvaRing were three times more likely to experience blood clot related side effects than women who did not take any hormonal contraceptives. Ultimately, the NuvaRing medical study concluded that the device increased the risk of venous thrombosis by 48 percent.

In June 2012, the New England Journal of Medicine published a hormonal contraceptive medical study that reported unfavorable results for NuvaRing. The medical study focused on hormonal contraceptives that contain estrogen and progestins. The results showed that contraceptives containing progestins such as desogestrel and gestodene increased the risk venous thrombosis. NuvaRing contains the progestin, desogestrel, which accounts for the fact that the device increases a woman’s risk of thrombosis and blood clot related side effects including heart attack, stroke, and death.

NuvaRing Lawsuits Against Merck

In 2008, the first NuvaRing lawsuit was filed against the manufacturers of NuvaRing. From that date, thousands of other lawsuits against NuvaRing have been filed against the Manufacturer. Merck (the company that manufactures NuvaRing) denies that they ever concealed any health risks and never downplayed the risk of death with the drug. Although they make these statements, people have died from the use of their product. People who are non-smokers with no risk of having a stroke have had strokes after using this product. Healthy young people 20 years of age have been reported to have suffered from Pulmonary Embolism or Deep Vein Thrombosis, diseases that are generally associated with older people or people in poor health. Health care professionals continue to prescribe this product even though there are serious risks involved. Most people learn of this information far too late and after NuvaRing has already injured them.

Since NuvaRing’s introduction to the market, the device’s risks have become more apparent leading thousands of women to file lawsuits against Merck. These lawsuits allege that NuvaRing is a defective product and Merck did not adequately warn consumers of NuvaRing’s risks. For example, many lawsuits claim that Merck overstated the benefits of NuvaRing while understating its risks. NuvaRing advertisements market the device to women as a safe and convenient alternative to birth control pills. However, the advertisements do not adequately warn women that NuvaRing increases the risk of thrombosis and blood clot related side effects including heart attack, stroke, and death. The number of NuvaRing lawsuits against Merck has become so large that all federal lawsuits have been consolidated in a process called multidistrict litigation. These lawsuits are going to be tried in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Currently, 1,028 lawsuits have been consolidated and the number of lawsuits grows everyday. The first trial for the multidistrict litigation will begin in July 2013. Additionally, Merck faces many NuvaRing lawsuits in New Jersey state court. The first trial for the New Jersey NuvaRing Lawsuits will begin in February 2013. There have been no reported settlements for NuvaRing lawsuits and it has been reported that cash flow problems may be to blame. Merck has limited cash flow because one of its highly anticipated cancer drugs has been pulled from testing and Singulair’s patent is going to expire causing Merck to lose a portion of its market share to generic drug makers. Additionally, Merck is facing a growing number of lawsuits for its drug Propecia.

If you feel as though NuvaRing has injured you, please contact an experienced defective drug attorney right away.

In order to prove that you have an injury that should be compensated for by the pharmaceutical company, you must prove that the drug either did not have adequate warnings, was defective in the condition it was put on the market in, or that this form of the drug that you took was in some way defective. The next thing that you have to prove is that the drug caused the side effect or disease that you were diagnosed with.

In order to prove this, people need many different experts and medical opinions. You will need the opinion of your physician and medical experts. There are experts that are brought in to prove that the drug is in fact defective. These lawsuits are very time consuming and detailed but if you have one, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries and hiring an experienced NUVARING attorney who can help you make important personal decisions regarding moving forward with your claim.

The diseases that have been linked to NuvaRing use are:

• Thrombophlebitis: Inflammation caused by a blood clot in the veins. The symptoms include swelling of the affected area, pain in the affected area, redness, warmth and tender to touch over the affected area. This medical condition requires quick medical treatment and can be life-threatening.
• Venous Thrombosis (with or without embolism): When a blood clot forms in the vein and breaks off into the blood stream it is considered an embolized venous thrombosis and is dangerous.
• Pulmonary Embolism: This is when a main artery of the lung is blocked by a clot that has moved from another part of the body to the lung. Symptoms of this include difficulty breathing, chest pain or feelings of palpitations. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to a collapsed lung.
• Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack): This occurs when the blood flow to your heart is blocked for long enough that a portion of the heart muscle is damaged. Symptoms include chest pain, weakness, indigestion or a feeling that someone is sitting on your chest.
• Cerebral Hemorrhage (Stroke): It occurs when the blood flow to your brain is stopped for long enough that a portion of the brain is damaged. Symptoms depend on where in the brain the stroke is, but can cause the person to be unaware of their surroundings, to be weak, to be unable to raise an arm or move a leg. It may also cause difficulty in speaking, walking and dizziness.
• Hypertension: Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Most times, there are no symptoms of high blood pressure and it requires a blood pressure reading from a doctor. Untreated, it can cause heart disease and kidney problems. At times the symptoms may include headache, nausea, confusion or nosebleeds.
• Gallbladder Disease: When something in your body blocks the flow of bile to the gallbladder, it can cause gallbladder disease. The symptoms include severe pain under the right side of the rib cage, radiating pain throughout the back, upper abdomen pain, nausea, vomiting and pain gets worse after deep breaths. These attacks can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 15 hours and the attacks are very common.
• Hepatic Adenomas: This is a tumor of the liver that is non-cancerous but can rupture or bleed and become cancerous. The symptoms can be pain in the upper right part of the stomach. These are generally caused by contraceptives and surgery is recommended to remove them.

Although these are the listed problems that have been associated with NuvaRing, they are not the only problems that NuvaRing can cause. NuvaRing has also been known to cause:

• Stomach Cramps
• Breast enlargement or tenderness
• Changes in menstrual cycle and irregular spotting and bleeding
• Bloating and fluid retention
• Infertility
• Weight changes
• Change in Appetite
• Rash
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Hair loss

If you have any of the above symptoms and believe that you suffered these because of your use of NUVARING, you may have a valid lawsuit against Merck. Merck marketed this product to prevent pregnancy but it has been shown to cause serious side effects. Generally, you need to have been prescribed this drug by your doctor and you need to have an injury from NUVARING

About NuvaRing Manufacturer (Merck)

NuvaRing is a contraceptive medical device manufactured by Merck. Merck originated in Germany in 1668 making it the oldest operating pharmaceutical company in the world. In 1891, Merck established operations in New York. Today, Merck is a multinational pharmaceutical company that employs about 86,000 people in 120 countries. Its corporate headquarters are now located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Merck researches, develops, and manufactures popular drugs such as Celestone, Nasonex, Propecia, and Singulair. In October 2001, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved NuvaRing for sale on the market by Merck. Since NuvaRing’s introduction to the market, the contraceptive medical device has made Merck hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2011 alone, NuvaRing made $600 million in sales for the pharmaceutical company.

NuvaRing Whistleblower Lawsuits

When Merck purchased Schering-Plough in 2009 and inherited responsibility for the NuvaRing side effects lawsuits, it also inherited the subsidiary, Organon. In a recent whistleblower lawsuit against Merck, two former employees claimed that Organon was offering NuvaRing to Planned Parenthood at extremely low prices. This illegal practice was allegedly done in order to get as many women on the product as possible while offering it at the low price.

Recently, a federal judge refused to dismiss the claims by the two former employees’ claims that the dangerous contraceptive, NuvaRing, was being offered at significantly lower prices in hopes of quickly building a solid consumer base. Because Medicaid requires manufacturers to come up with a “best price” in order for Medicaid to be able to offer consumers similar prices and rates. The whistleblower lawsuit claims that Organon did not report the nominal amount it was charging, and was selling NuvaRing to Planned Parenthood for $3 – instead of the regular price of $34. This circumvention of the Medicaid requirement allowed Organon to avoid paying several rebates while improperly building a large consumer base.

The news that Merck’s attempt to dismiss the whistleblower claims were denied is another setback as similar claims and reports of side effects continue to hurt the company that inherited the defective medical device when it purchased Schering-Plough, and thus Organon. Not only has Merck faced numerous claims that the NuvaRing caused severe side effects such as blood clotting complications such as pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks and strokes, but Merck continues to face pressure from the FDA and from numerous lawsuits regarding the severe side effects of Propecia.

PLEASE SPEAK WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE DISCONTINUING USE OF NUVARING OR ANY OTHER PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION.

Contact the Law Offices of d'Oliveira & Associates

If you believe that you or one of your loved ones have been injured by NuvaRing, you may want to speak with a personal injury attorney regarding a potential claim. An injury lawyer familiar with new developments in the investigation of NuvaRing may be able to help you make important personal and legal decisions. d’Oliveira & Associates, P.C. is working with some of the leading lawyers in the country who are handling these cases.

Please contact the law offices of d'Oliveira & Associates, P.C. at 1-800-992-6878 or fill out a contact form for a free legal consultation.