Two popular birth-control pills, Yasmin and Yaz, are facing safety questions.
Lawyers representing a group of Canadian women have initiated a class-action lawsuit against Bayer Inc., the supplier of both drugs, CTV News reported this week. In a statement of claim filed in an Ontario court, lawyers with the firm of Siskind LLP allege that women and physicians were not adequately warned about higher than usual health risks posed by Yasmin and Yaz, compared with other oral contraceptives.
Some women taking the pills have reported racing hearts, strokes and gallbladder problems requiring surgery. The court has not yet certified the case to proceed to trial.
Similar lawsuits have been filed in the United States.
The drug maker disputes the allegations.
"Bayer's oral contraceptives have been and continue to be extensively studied worldwide and are safe and effective when used according to the product labelling," the firm said in a statement.