If you have experienced serious problems with the Ortho Evra® patch, contact our firm by filling out the form below.






Douglas & London, P.C.
111 John Street
14th Floor
New York, New York 10038
P: 212.566.7500
F: 212.566.7501

Map and Driving Directions

Timeline of FDA Approval, Legal Action, and Problems with the Ortho Evra® Patch

The timeline below includes significant Ortho Evra® events, from FDA approval to the announcement of a new label that notes potential problems with the Ortho Evra® Patch.

November 20, 2001 – Ortho Evra® Birth Control Patch Receives FDA Approval

Ortho Evra®, the first birth control patch, receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

April 30, 2002 – Ortho Evra® Available by Prescription

The Ortho Evra® birth control patch is first made available by prescription as an alternative to the Pill.

October 2004 – Douglas & London begins Investigation into Ortho Evra® Side Effects

Douglas & London discovers that the FDA logged 9,116 reports of adverse reactions to the Patch during a 17-month period. In comparison, the birth control pill Ortho Tri-Cyclen® generated only 1,237 adverse reports in a six-year period.

During a 12-month period, 44 serious injuries and deaths were linked to Ortho Evra®. During a similar time period, only 17 serious injuries and deaths were linked to the Ortho Tri-Cyclen® birth control pill.

The pattern is magnified when usage rates are considered: Ortho Tri-Cyclen® has six times the number of users as the Ortho Evra® patch.

April 2005 – First Death Publicly Linked to the Ortho Evra® Patch

An 18-year-old Manhattan fashion student collapses in a subway station and dies on the way to the hospital after complaining of a headache, dizziness, and pain in her legs. An autopsy shows that a blood clot had moved into the victim’s lung; the medical examiner determined that the clot was a side effect of Ortho Evra®.

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August 18, 2005 – Douglas & London Files First Nationwide Ortho Evra® Birth Control Patch Class Action

Douglas & London, P.C. files suit against Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C., and Johnson & Johnson on behalf of two women who developed life-threatening blood clots and one woman who died as a result of problems with the Ortho Evra® birth control patch.

November 10, 2005 – FDA Updates Labeling for Ortho Evra Contraceptive Patch

The Food and Drug Administration revises the Ortho Evra® label in order to highlight potential problems with the Ortho Evra® Patch. The new label warns that women who use Ortho Evra® are exposed to 60 percent more estrogen than women who take a typical birth control pill containing 35 micrograms of estrogen. An FDA press release notes that, in general, increased exposure to estrogen can raise a woman’s risk for blood clots.

If you have experienced problems with the Ortho Evra® birth control patch, contact Douglas & London for a case evaluation.

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