Ortho Evra
December 15, 2006Former VP says he was fired for warning of Ortho Evra risks
The former vice president of Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ortho-McNeil, the manufacturer of the Ortho Evra birth control patch, has filed a lawsuit alleging he was unfairly fired from his job. Dr. Joel Lippman claims that he was let go after urging recalls of several Johnson & Johnson products, including the Ortho Evra patch.In his lawsuit, Dr. Lippman claims that he raised concerns about putting the Ortho Evra patch on the market because it “released dangerously high levels of estrogen into patients.” Estrogen, which can cause blood to clot, tends to increase the frequency of Ortho Evra side effects, including blood clots, heart attack and stroke. In September, the Food and Drug Administration added a warning label to the patch because of its risk of Ortho Evra side effects.
Johnson & Johnson ignored Dr. Lippman’s concerns and released the patch anyway. In his lawsuit, he says that he was then transferred to Ethicon, another Johnson & Johnson subsidiary. When he warned that one of Ethicon’s products could block arteries, he was told that “his actions could affect his bonus and standing with the company,” the lawsuit says. Dr. Lippman continued to raise concerns about some of Ethicon’s products—including two that were recalled by the FDA—and as a result, he says, he was fired from the company.
Dr. Lippman is seeking lost wages and other benefits for what he alleges was an unlawful termination of his employment with Johnson & Johnson. The company is also facing more than 1,000 Ortho Evra lawsuits from patients who suffered birth control patch side effects after using the popular contraceptive.