More than 300 Brazilian women are demanding compensation from the German pharmaceutical concern Bayer. They have serious health problems after using the contraceptive “Essure”. “We were guinea pigs,” says Rosa.
After the first birthday of her son Rosa, Carolina Germano decided that she no longer wanted to have children. Then, in 2015, she was 29 years old. Because her family was poor, she had only one opportunity to receive contraceptives – through the state health care system, SUS. From there, they distributed Bayer’s Essure birth control pills free of charge. “I trusted him completely,” says Rosa.
Bleeding and pain after placement
A thin spiral about four centimeters long contains nickel-titanium elements, steel and metal fibers. It is injected through the birth canal into the fallopian tube, where it helps to form tissues that prevent sperm from reaching the eggs. The drug, developed by Bayer, was approved by the Brazilian health authorities in 2009. According to experts, about 8,000 Brazilian women were equipped with spirals in public hospitals.
Rose is one of them. But immediately after the introduction of problems began: she began to bleed profusely, abdominal pain, hair began to fall out. There was depression. Because of all this, she could not concentrate and eventually lost her job.
In the US, Bayer has already paid millions
Rose is not an isolated case – many Brazilian women have complained of severe pain after the introduction of “Essure”. Meanwhile, more than 300 women with similar complaints have joined forces and are demanding at least € 30 million in compensation from Bayer. “But Bayer still refuses to pay, claiming that the product has no side effects,” explains Rosa.
In a written statement for the first program of the German public broadcaster ARD, the Bayer group stated that it “continues to uphold the safety and effectiveness of Essure, which has been proven in extensive research.” The statement came as a surprise, as in other countries the Leverkusen group has long reached an amicable settlement with the victims of Essure: in the United States, women with similar complaints were paid 1.35 billion euros. As a result, 90 percent of the 39,000 complaints were upheld.
The victims intend to complain in Germany as well
“It’s completely unfair that Bayer has to pay billions in the United States to get rid of a lawsuit, and in Brazil it doesn’t want to move a finger,” Rosa complains. For its part, the pharmaceutical group notes that “the US settlement reflects a commercial decision largely due to the peculiarities of the US legal system, including the high cost of litigation in the United States.”
Rosa feels that she is treated as a second-class citizen. She and other women have turned to international lawyers and want to file a complaint against Bayer and Germany, as the group has not yet responded to their written requests.
“The money will not restore my health. But with the help of compensation, I will be able to at least take out private health insurance to undergo a detailed examination and receive the necessary therapy,” says Rosa.
“Essure” is withdrawn from the Brazilian market
Essure was recalled from the Brazilian market in 2018. At that time, Rose’s condition began to deteriorate, and the spiral was removed to relieve her pain, but the intervention was not without complications, as Bayer had already left its mark on Rose’s body. She had to have her ovaries removed, and needed a second operation to remove the uterus because parts of the coil were in contact with her, and she also had a third operation to remove the cysts.
Meanwhile, the Bayer concern continued to claim that it did not make any mistakes and the innocent Rosa is still struggling with the consequences. She is unemployed and survives on state aid to fight the coronavirus pandemic. But in October, these benefits will be suspended.
“We were guinea pigs,” says Rosa, and she hopes Bayer will still respond and reach an out-of-court settlement. Otherwise, the affected women, numbering about 300, will file a complaint.