History of Nuvaring

The history of the NuvaRing birth control device has been marked by controversy, tragedy and litigation.

NuvaRing is the trade name for a vaginal hormonal contraceptive manufactured by Merck & Company. It requires a doctor’s prescription.

In 2001, NuvaRing was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It has been widely popular, used by 1 million women in this country alone. It has also been enormously profitable for the big corporations that make and sell it.

It has also proven to have harmful – even fatal – side effects for some women who use it.

Have you or someone you know used NuvaRing? Have you experienced blurred vision, headaches, swelling in your legs or arms, heart problems, stroke or blood clots? If so, you might be entitled to compensation. Contact The Driscoll Firm, LLC, at 314-932-3232 to speak to an experienced NuvaRing litigation attorney about your case or click here for a free consultation.

How NuvaRing Vaginal Ring Works

NuvaRing is a flexible plastic ring that is inserted into the vagina and releases a low dose of a progestin (called etonogestrel) and estrogen over a period of three weeks. These hormones suppress ovulation and prevent pregnancy.

Etonogestrel is a form of desogetrel, a so-called “third-generation” hormone first used in the 1980s. Birth control manufacturers mistakenly believed that these third-generation hormones were an improvement over earlier products because they would reduce unwanted side effects like acne and facial hair.

However, it soon became clear that these new hormones not only failed to eliminate minor side effects, but were far more likely to cause major side effects like blood clots, thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes.

In February 2007, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to ban oral birth control pills containing desogestrel. This came more than a decade after the FDA itself acknowledged that products containing desogestrel significantly increase the risk of blood clots and other potentially deadly side effects.

An FDA study in 2011 found a 48 percent higher risk of venous thrombosis in women using NuvaRing compared with those using second-generation hormones. A year later, a Danish study published in the British Medical Journal reached similar conclusions about NuvaRing effectiveness and risks.

NuvaRing Dangers and Risks

Health dangers associated with NuvaRing include:

  • Blood clots
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Liver cancer
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Death

None of these dangers were emphasized in the marketing campaign that introduced NuvaRing to United States women. Sassy advertisements hailed NuvaRing as a breakthrough contraceptive that liberated users from the drudgery of daily birth control. Magazine spreads proclaimed “Let Freedom Ring.” Television and social media spots urged young women to “break free from the pack” and abandon birth control pills in favor of NuvaRing.

Meanwhile, hundreds of complaints of injuries and negative side effects – including accounts of horrific deaths – began pouring in.

NuvaRing victims and their families have begun filing NuvaRing injury lawsuits and NuvaRing wrongful death lawsuits.

Close to 1,000 lawsuits have already been filed nationwide, alleging that Merck and other companies have underplayed the risks of NuvaRing and failed to adequately warn patients of the potentially fatal consequences of using the device.

Call a NuvaRing Litigation Lawyer Today

It is important to act promptly if you believe you have a legal claim as a result of NuvaRing use. Delay could mean any right to compensation is forever lost.

Call 314-932-3232 or click here now to speak with an experienced NuvaRing Injury lawyer at The Driscoll Firm, LLC, about the facts of your case and the possibility of financial compensation. The Driscoll Firm, LLC, has successfully represented clients harmed by dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices for more than a decade. John J. Driscoll represents only plaintiffs – he never represents big drug companies. When he is your attorney, you know which side he is on.

Sources:

Benefactor of Public Justice