LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF HEALTH ON BAYER’S MISLEADING ADVERTISING

A/A from the Minister of Health.

From ADAEC we inform you about the note published by our association because from their Ministry they have not given us answers until now to the letters sent about the misleading publicity of the laboratories, Bayer and specific treatment for endometriosis, because the dienogest is a derivative of drospirenone with the same side effects of this one.

Our Ministry is silent in order to avoid confronting the pharmaceutical industry and is content to put a brief note on the AEMPS website

Oral contraceptives with drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol and risk of venous thromboembolism
New studies place the risk of venous thromboembolism from YASMIN® and YIRA® somewhere in between that of second and third generation contraceptives.

Two epidemiological studies have recently been published1,2 assessing the risk of venous thromboembolism in women taking different types of oral contraceptives. The results of both studies confirmed what was already known about this risk, but also suggested that the risk of Yasmin® and Yira® may be higher than initially estimated, so that it should be placed somewhere in between that associated with second and third generation contraceptives.

Yasmin® and Yira® contain 30 µg of ethinyl estradiol and 3mg of drospirenone. Also available in Spain are combined oral contraceptives with 20 µg of ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg of drospirenone. Authorised drugs containing drospirenone and their technical data sheets can be consulted on the AEMPS website, in the section CIMA: Online Information Centre for Medicines of the AEMPS.

The two studies have been properly evaluated, concluding that this information should appear in the technical data sheet of medicines containing drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol.

Lidegaard Ø, Løkkegaard E, Svendsen A, Agger C. Hormonal contraception and risk of venous thromboembolism: a national follow-up study. Br Med J. 2009; 339: b2890. Abstract]
van Hylckama Vlieg A, Helmerhorst FM, Vandenbroucke JP, Doggen CJ, Rosendaal FR The venous thrombotic risk of oral contraceptives, effects of oestrogen dose and progestagen type: results of the MEGA case-control study. Br Med J. 2009; 339: b2921. Abstract]

Although the ADAEC has been publicly denouncing the situation and the Ministry of Health since January 2009

While in other countries they have a warning and are collectively denouncing Bayer(yasmin)

Lawsuits against Bayer Corp., maker of the Yaz birth control pill, have been filed nationwide, but will be handled by U.S. District Judge David Herndon as a multidistrict litigation assignment, in Belleville, Illinois.

“There will be a variety of dynamics that will be taken into account in the assessment of cases.” The lawsuits against Bayer allege Yaz and cause Yasmin strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, thrombosis, cardiac arrhythmia, gallbladder disease, kidney failure and sudden death

Patients and their families across the country have analyzed the filing of a Yaz lawsuit based on the serious side effects of this relatively new contraceptive. The Yaz lawsuit claims that the manufacturer was negligent in birth control in several ways, including

– marketing and selling Yaz as safe and effective for use in preventing pregnancy

– failure to adequately warn consumers of unreasonable and dangerous side effects, some of which are life-threatening

– failure to conduct adequate pre-clinical testing and post-marketing studies to determine the safety and side effects of Yaz

– not having used ordinary care in the design, testing and manufacture of Yaz

– not to exercise due care when advertising and promoting Yaz

Yasmin and adulteration by Bayer in its making. Our government has no news of this either?

In our country they still do nothing… maybe they expect more news like this

A 31-year-old girl died in January 2006 from a massive pulmonary thromboembolism after having her uterine fibroids removed

BERNA – Swiss medical authority Swissmedic is testing all birth control pills with the active ingredient drospirenone after a 21-year-old woman died in mid-September of a pulmonary embolism apparently caused by the contraceptive “Yaz” from Bayer Schering Pharma.

Drospirenone is found in the contraceptive pills “Yaz”, “Yasmin”, “Yasminelle”, “Aida” and “Petibelle”. Studies by Dutch and Danish researchers indicate that birth control pills with drospirenone increase the risk of thrombosis more than other preparations

MOST OF THE LINKS IN THIS NOTE HAVE ALREADY DISAPPEARED FROM THE INTERNET….THEY CAN BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE KEEP THEM ALL CAREFULLY. SEEING THAT AS WE HUNG THEM ON OUR BLOG THEY WERE DISAPPEARING.

The power of the pharmaceutical industry

On October 3, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that this was Bayer’s involvement in deceptive advertising, and ultimately Defendant Bayer agreed to spend $20 million on corrective television advertisements and to submit all future Yaz ads to the FDA for advanced detection for the next six years.

Unfortunately for Ashia Moore who began taking Yaz in 2004, the FDA now requires Bayer to change its ads, Ms. Moore had suffered the loss of her gallbladder, developed deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) in her legs, lungs and throughout her body, and was hospitalized on August 31, 2008.

In Michigan, Governor Engler signed a law granting immunity to companies whose products were approved by the FDA. “Bayer’s actions surrounding the promotion and marketing of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella were so far above the line, the Michigan courts will not be able to apply the drug immunity law in this case. “It is estimated that there may be at least 40 or more Michigan residents who have been seriously injured by Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella

Does the Minister need more information?

Waiting for your answer as soon as possible…because many women take such treatment for endometriosis…polycystic ovaries…acne etc…

Likewise we show our most energetic protest to the departures of subsidies from the former Ministry of Equality, being these exclusive for separate feminist women’s associations and unions. Without taking into account the equality in health and this association. Associations with complaints, with vested interests are the ones who receive the subsidies.

ADAEC has been fighting for years to make a disease visible, ignored by all, even for equality and health. Without help of any type and having to pay from our own pockets for telephone, internet and trip to an interview with the Minister of Equality, Health etc…

After this news the most absolute indignation take over all those affected. Checking with absolute contempt as the money goes into the same hands.

ANNEXOI(EQUALITY)

We only talk about gender violence and there are more types of violence that can be exercised on a woman. For example, that of governments and administrations in the absence of a response to a disease such as endometriosis.

Violence is that a forum like Beijing +15 does not know how to respond to endometriosis, a disease that affects 14 million women in the EU. There have been initiatives and questions in the European Parliament since 1998.

Violence is that women and girls in Europe are castrated by removing their reproductive organs at very early ages in every intervention because of a lack of awareness and research

Violence is that we are treated with treatments for advanced prostate cancer without studies of the side effects on women.

Violence is that we are not interested in women’s infertility, which in the case of endometriosis is between 40 and 50% of those affected, and that we do not talk at all about pollutants and the importance of fertility.

Violence is that women can not live a full sexuality by the pain that often causes a disease like endometriosis

And violence is knowing that our children and grandchildren will not have the right to a full sexual and reproductive life, just as our maternal grandmothers or sisters did.

And finally, we would like to thank Mrs. Concha Colomer because she has been and is the only person who has taken us seriously and who is immersed in the creation of the statewide Clinical Guide to endometriosis.

But we cannot wait years before our Ministry takes us seriously and takes measures to make the disease visible to society. It is your responsibility and not that of sick and helpless women.

If by the date of March 5th we have not obtained answers, we will be spreading the disease at the door of your “our” ministry.

We will celebrate the International Week of Endometriosis (March 7-14) in the only way we can make visible what our government is failing to do.

Because a president of any association is stopped and discouraged by a government…but a mother is stopped by no one. And my only goal is to leave a better future for my daughter and granddaughter than I found.

ANNEX II (medical report of Maria Antonia Pacheco)

ANNEX III(Adhesion of the Ministry, party …etc…to the Endometriosis Action Manifesto)

We expect a response from your ministry as soon as possible:

-Jasmin.

-Dissemination campaign on endometriosis and the importance of early detection in young people.

-Clinical Guide Date on Endometriosis.

– Minimum aid (GRANT), to an association that fights for women’s health rights. Although we have the problem of not declaring ourselves feminists or being anyone’s palm tree.

-Accession to the Endometriosis Action Manifesto.

Maria Antonia Pacheco Summit

President of ADAEC