Ortho Evra Press Article Excerpt

September 20, 2007

Newhouse Papers, "Johnson & Johnson faces thousands of lawsuits over birth-control patch"

The numbers keep adding up for the Ortho Evra birth-control patch. Not sales -- those are down sharply -- but the docket of product liability cases filed against Johnson & Johnson, the maker of the one-of-a-kind contraceptive. In its latest update last month, J&J said more than 2,400 Ortho Evra lawsuits are queued up in state and federal courts.

Most of the lawsuits have a common theme: J&J allegedly knew the skin patch had greater safety risks than birth-control pills, particularly in the incidence of harmful blood clots that could develop in women's legs and lungs. But it chose to aggressively market the contraceptive in ads featuring supermodel Naomi Campbell and others, and soft-pedaled the dangers, plaintiffs argue.

J&J denies the claims, and says Ortho Evra is a "safe and needed" contraceptive if used according to its label. But the company's defense has a complication: Two former executives have said they raised red flags about the patch's safety but were ignored.

Learn more about Ortho Evra dangers and injury lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson over the birth control patch.

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Additional Lieff Cabraser Information: Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, with offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville, is one of the largest law firms in the United States that represents only plaintiffs. We have been nationally recognized for our representation of victims of dangerous and defective medical products. We are representing Ortho Evra birth control patch patients in individual peronal injury lawsuits.

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