The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that it remains concerned about the risk of blood clots with the use of drospirenone-containing birth control pills, including those made by German drug company Bayer.

In a safety announcement on Monday, the agency said that preliminary results of a study that it funded, involving 800,000 women, suggested an approximately 1.5-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for women who use the drospirenone-containing pills compared with users of other hormonal contraceptives.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Bayer’s best selling birth control drugs, including Yaz and Yasmin, contain the compound.

The FDA has scheduled a joint meeting with the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee on 8 December to discuss the risks and benefits of the pills.

The agency has completed its review of two studies evaluating the risk of blood clots in women, but has not reached a conclusion yet.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Awarded the 2025 Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Award for Business Expansion in Integrated Manufacturing, Upperton Pharma Solutions is rapidly expanding its UK GMP and sterile manufacturing footprint. Find out how Upperton’s integrated CDMO model helps pharma companies move from early development to clinical and niche commercial supply with fewer handovers and faster timelines.

Discover the Impact