ClassAction.org is reporting that the Honorable Judge Cathy Seibel, who is overseeing the Mirena intrauterine device (IUD) multidistrict litigation (MDL), has ordered a 60-day extension for many of the deadlines previously established for the bellwether trials – a handful of “test” trials that are meant to establish how other federal Mirena lawsuits will conclude. More than 400 cases are currently pending in the Mirena MDL alleging that the contraceptive can cause serious injuries if it embeds itself in the uterus or moves from its original position. Judge Seibel’s order extends the deadlines for several pre-trial proceedings including the collection of depositions and expert reports, which could push the beginning of the bellwether trials further into 2015.
According to the most recent report from the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, more than 400 women have filed claims in federal court alleging that Mirena can cause infections, scars, hemorrhages and organ damage if it becomes embedded in the uterus or migrates from its original position. These lawsuits allege that Bayer, the contraceptive’s manufacturer, failed to provide adequate warnings to women and doctors about these risks and released a defective product into the marketplace.
Many women who filed lawsuits allege that they chose the Mirena IUD in part because Bayer claimed it was more convenient than other forms of birth control. The lawsuits allege that Bayer engaged in a controversial marketing campaign for consumers known as “Mirena parties.” At these parties, a nurse and a representative from a social media website working with Bayer would read a script to party guests claiming that Mirena would make them “look and feel great,” while requiring “no daily, weekly, or monthly routines.” When the FDA became aware of these “parties,” the agency sent Bayer a warning letter and ordered the company to stop the campaign. According to the FDA, Bayer did not provide any evidence to support the claim that it would make women “look and feel great,” and women in clinical trials actually reported many side effects that contradicted this statement, including pain, nausea, weight gain and low libido. Furthermore, the presentations were misleading because the Mirena IUD did, in fact, require women to perform a monthly check that the device was working properly to prevent pregnancy, according to the FDA.
If you suffered an infection, hemorrhage or other serious injury after being fitted with Mirena, you may have legal recourse. To see if you could seek compensation for your losses, visit http://www.classaction.org/mirena today and fill out our free case review form.
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