A group of women in Australia will be joining other women worldwide in pursuing a class action lawsuit against Bayer (ETR:BAYN) for medical problems allegedly associated with its Essure permanent birth control device, according to a report from The Guardian.
The suit, which will be led by law firm Slater and Gordon, joins similar suits against Bayer in the US, Canada and the UK, according to the report.
Slater & Gordon associate Ebony Birchall said the suit will examine whether the product is inherently defective, according to The Guardian.
“Essure was hailed as the new wave of contraceptive devices. Unlike traditional permanent contraceptive surgery, Essure was marketed as being fast, effective and minimally invasive, it could be inserted in your doctor’s office. However, for the women who have experienced complications, it has been incredibly damaging,” Birchall said, according to the report.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration announced last May that Bayer decided to drop distribution of the Essure device in the country “for business reasons,” according to The Guardian.
Bayer has not released any details of how many devices were sold in the country, and has not officially responded to news of the suit, though a spokesperson told The Guardian that it was aware of the suit and is “committed to the proper and objective consideration of any legal claim made should such a claim be lodged.”
Late last month, Bayer fired back against claims that its Essure permanent birth control device is less than safe and effective after having announced plans to pull the device from the shelves in the US only a week earlier.
