Learn About NuvaRing, Kentucky: Product, Problems, and Prosecution

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More than 1,000 lawsuits have been brought against the contraceptive device NuvaRing, but as of yet there is no class action suit in the works. Women in Kentucky who have used this birth-control method and suffered the consequences should contact a lawyer immediately.

What Is NuvaRing?

NuvaRing, manufactured by Organon Pharmaceuticals and Merck, is a flexible ring about two inches in diameter, which is inserted vaginally once a month. There, it releases a continuous low dose of hormones to prevent pregnancy. The device must be removed after three weeks and replaced one week later with a new ring.

What Is the Problem?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than a thousand reports of blood clot injuries or death in patients using the NuvaRing device. On October 27, 2011, the FDA published a report, “Combined Hormonal Contraceptives (CHCs) and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Endpoints,” which revealed that vaginal ring contraceptives may increase a woman’s risk of developing blood clots by as much as 56 percent.

The NuvaRing Resource Center, a patient advocacy group, is alerting women who used NuvaRing about these risks. Women are encouraged to contact either the Resource Center or an attorney if they have suffered side effects such as:

  • Heart attack,
  • Blood clots,
  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT),
  • Stroke, or
  • Pulmonary embolism.

Medical Studies Support the Claims

As reported on PRWeb, the following highly respected medical journals lend further credence to reports of clotting:

  • On May 10, 2012, the British Medical Journal published a Danish study that showed using vaginal rings such as NuvaRing increases a woman’s chance of developing blood clots about 90 percent over oral contraceptives.
  • On June 14, 2012, the New England Journal of Medicine published another study that found a 2½- to 3-fold increased risk of blood clots in women using vaginal ring contraceptive devices.

What Recourse Do Victims Have?

Although no class action lawsuit is under way, cases against NuvaRing are now consolidated into a federal multi-district litigation (MDL) court in Missouri. (The case is “In re: NuvaRing Products Liability Litigation, No. 08-md-1964, JPML, Eastern District Missouri.”) Unlike a class action lawsuit, cases in an MDL are pursued individually, but the cases are consolidated in one court so that evidence and procedural rules can be shared.

U.S. Federal District Judge Rodney W. Sippel stated on August 23, 2012, that the first NuvaRing lawsuit would begin in May 2013. The proceedings and results of this first trial will set the precedent for subsequent cases and settlements.

If you have experienced any of the dangerous side effects of NuvaRing or other vaginal ring contraceptive devices, you need to get in touch with the Louisville class action litigation attorneys at Gray and White Law. Call us at 502-210-8942 or toll free at 888-450-4456 and set up a FREE, no-obligation, confidential consultation. We’ll work to get justice for you and financial compensation for your injuries from NuvaRing in Kentucky.