Trial, "Dangers of Birth Control Patch Come to Light"

          The Ortho Evra contraceptive patch is marketed as an easier alternative to oral contraceptives. But this convenience comes at a price: a greater risk of side effects, especially blood clots. The patch and the pill contain similar hormones, but studies have revealed that the patch delivers more estrogen and may be more dangerous than the pill.
          The only transdermal birth control patch on the market, Ortho Evra delivers hormones through the skin and directly into the bloodstream. More than 60 lawsuits have been filed against the patch's maker, alleging that the patch caused deaths and injuries such as blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. Plaintiffs claim that the manufacturer, Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, misled patients and health care providers about the product's safety.
          In November, the FDA issued a warning that the patch exposes users to 60 percent more estrogen than does a typical pill containing 35 micrograms of estrogen. The company changed its label to reflect the warning. Then, in February, Johnson & Johnson released conflicting findings from two ongoing epidemiological studies it sponsored. One found that the risk of nonfatal venous thromboembolic events (VTE) -- blood clots -- for women using the patch is similar to that of the pill; an interim report from the other study found twice the risk of VTE with the patch than with the pill. Both studies are still evaluating the risk of heart attack and stroke.