Teen’s Estate Sues Makers of Yasmin, Ocella, Citing Off-Label Promotion as Acne Treatment

The estate of a teenager who died of bilateral pulmonary emboli—blockage of the main artery of the lung—sued the makers and distributors of Yaz, Yasmin, and Yasmin’s generic equivalent June 10, alleging her death was caused by off-label promotion of the contraceptives to treat acne (Prewitt v. Asheville Children’s Medical Center PA).

Filed in North Carolina Superior Court, the complaint alleged that defendants engaged in an aggressive marketing campaign, including promotions aimed at dermatologists, while downplaying the risk of blood clots and other serious health problems associated with the drugs.

When she was 13, Brittany Prewitt was prescribed ...