The New York Times (9/26, B1, Singer) reported on the front of its Business Day section, "The oral contraceptives Yaz [drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol] and Yasmin [drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol] are the top-selling pharmaceutical line for Bayer HealthCare, largely as a result of marketing that presents them as much more than mere pregnancy prevention." Recently, however, "the Yaz line's image has been clouded by concerns from some researchers, health advocates and plaintiffs' lawyers," who say "that the drugs put women at higher risk for blood clots, strokes and other health problems than some other birth control pills do." In addition, a "spokeswoman for the FDA said the agency was reviewing the safety of birth control pills with a study designed to identify the incidence of blood clots, stroke and death among users of Yasmin and other oral contraceptives." Bloomberg News (9/26, Matussek) also reported that Bayer "said its Yaz contraceptive is part of an investigation by a Swiss health regulator into the death of a young woman who took the pill."

Source:

• New York Times