Johnson & Johnson is now facing more than 2,400 Ortho Evra lawsuits, with 400 in New Jersey alone. Plaintiffs allege that Johnson & Johnson knew the heightened safety risks of their Ortho Evra patch compared to birth-control pills. Injuries specifically targeted by plaintiffs are potentially harmful blood clots forming in women’s legs and lungs.

Hormonal contraceptives delivered through the skin, such as those delivered via the Ortho Evra patch, result in exposure to 60 percent more estrogen than their oral counterparts. This heightened estrogen exposure may increase the risk of injury. Oral contraceptives have been linked to harmful side effects such as deep-vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism is a potentially fatal affliction in which clots form in the body and travel to the lungs.

In 2001, an FDA medical reviewer warned of the blood clot risk with Ortho Evra and the drug should undergo more studies. Two former Johnson & Johnson executives questioned the safety of the drug, but were ignored by the company.

Source: “J&J faces thousands of Ortho lawsuits,” NJ.Com, September 19, 2007.