Yasmin and YAZ Class Action Settlement

A Canada-wide settlement has been reached with Bayer Inc., Bayer Corporation, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bayer Healthcare LLC, and Berlex Laboratories, Inc. (collectively referred to as “the Defendants” or “Bayer”) in class action lawsuits filed in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Quebec relating to the oral contraceptives Yasmin and YAZ. The class actions raise various allegations relating to blood clots and gallbladder disease and removal.

The Defendants deny the allegations made in the class actions, make no admission as to the truth of these allegations, and deny any wrongdoing.

Under the Settlement, Bayer will provide an all-inclusive Settlement Fund of CAD $9,050,000.00. The Settlement Fund will be used, among other things, to pay the costs of notice and administration of the Settlement, the claims of Provincial Health Insurers, Class Counsel legal fees, and benefits for Approved Claimants who are part of the Settlement Class.

The final value of benefits for each Approved Claimant will not be determined until all Claims are submitted and considered by the Claims Administrator. The Courts have approved a Benefits and Distribution Protocol that determines which Settlement Class Members are eligible for benefits and in what amount. The benefits for Approved Claimants will be based on a points system. Benefits will be paid pro rata based on the number of points assigned to each Approved Claimant, subject to maximum allowable benefits per Claimant, which are:

For the purposes of the Settlement, the Settlement Class is comprised of:

1. User Settlement Class Members, who are residents of Canada and who were prescribed and ingested Yasmin and/or YAZ between the following time periods:

   • December 10, 2004 (in the case of Yasmin) or January 6, 2009 (in the case of YAZ) and November 30, 2011, if you reside in Ontario or Quebec; or
   • December 10, 2004 (in the case of Yasmin) or January 6, 2009 (in the case of YAZ) and October 4, 2016, if you reside in Canada but outside of Ontario and Quebec

   AND who were subsequently diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions:

   • Arterial thromboembolism (“ATE”)
   • Venous thromboembolism (“VTE”)
   • Gallbladder disease
2. Family Settlement Class Members, who are residents of Canada and who, by virtue of a personal relationship with any individual described above, has a derivative claim for damages under Canadian family law legislation.

You are excluded from making a Claim in the Settlement if:

1. you are not a User or Family Settlement Class Member under the terms of the Settlement Agreement; or
2. you have validly opted out of the class actions.

To make a Claim for benefits from the Settlement, you must submit a User Claim Form (if you are a User Settlement Class Member) or a Family Member Claim Form (if you are a Family Settlement Class Member, provided that your family member is submitting a User Claim Form). All Claim Forms and the necessary supporting Evidence detailed in the Benefits and Distribution Protocol and the Settlement Agreement must be postmarked or submitted by email or online to the Claims Administrator no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on April 9, 2027. If you do NOT submit your Claim Form on time, you will not be eligible for any benefits from the Settlement.

You may choose any one of the following ways to submit a Claim Form:

1. Submit a Claim and upload any supporting documents via the online Claim Form. Please click here.
2. Email your complete Claim Form and any supporting documents to the Claims Administrator at Application@YasminYazClassActionCanada.ca, or
3. Mail/Courier your Claim Form and any supporting documents to the Claims Administrator at the following address:

Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc.
Attention: YAZ/Yasmin Class Action
PO Box 507 STN B
Ottawa, ON K1P 5P6

You may download a copy of the Claim Form here or request it from the Claims Administrator by email, mail, or phone.

All Claim Forms and supporting documents must be postmarked or submitted by email or online no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on April 9, 2027. If you do NOT submit your Claim Form on time, you will not be eligible for any benefits from the Settlement.

User Settlement Class Member:

• Proof of YAZ and/or Yasmin Ingestion: This means submitting records that confirm you were prescribed and took YAZ or Yasmin during the eligible time period (see 4. Who is included in the Class Action Settlement?). These records can include a pharmacy printout, a letter from a medical clinic or licensed doctor, or notes from your medical records.
• Proof of Injury(ies): This means submitting medical records that clearly show the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism, arterial thromboembolism, or gallbladder disease and the date that the injury occurred. These records can include notes from your doctor or hospital documents. If anything in the records needs clarification, a letter from your doctor may be used to explain the details.
• A copy of government issued photo identification.
• Any other supporting documents and information required by the User Claim Form.

Family Settlement Class Member:

• Information that identifies the User Settlement Class Member who has submitted a Claim Form in support of your Claim.
• Proof of your relationship with the User Settlement Class Member who submitted a Claim Form: Acceptable documentation includes a birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce judgment, separation contract, or other official records. In cases where standard documents are unavailable (such as in a common-law partnership), an affidavit attesting to the family relationship may be submitted as supporting evidence.
• A copy of government issued photo identification.
• Any other supporting documents and information required by the Family Member Claim Form.

The qualifying injuries include:

Medical conditions related to blood clots that may qualify:

• Venous Thromboembolism (“VTE”) (incl. Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis)
• Arterial Thromboembolism (“ATE”) (incl. Ischemic Stroke and/or Myocardial Infarction)

Medical conditions related to the gallbladder that may qualify:

• Gallbladder Disease/Cholecystectomy

Associated fatalities that may qualify:

• Fatality as a result of VTE
• Fatality as a result of ATE

You can submit a claim as a Family Settlement Class Member if you were a spouse, common law spouse, child, grandchild, parent, brother, or sister of a User Settlement Class Member at the time of their qualifying injury or injuries due to their ingestion of YAZ and/or Yasmin.

You must gather and submit the following evidence required to substantiate your relationship to the User Settlement Class Member:

• the completed Family Member Claim Form;
• proof of relationship to the applicable User Settlement Class Member;
• a copy of government issued photo identification; and
• any other supporting documents and information required by the Family Member Claim Form.

No. If a User Settlement Class Member does not submit a Claim Form, or if the User Settlement Class Member is deemed to be ineligible by the Claims Administrator, family members are not eligible under the Settlement.

The deadline to object to the Settlement was on October 14, 2025.

If you do nothing at all, you will not receive any benefits from the Settlement. Unless you previously and validly excluded yourself (opted out) from the class actions, you won’t be able to start a lawsuit, continue a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against the Defendants relating to the legal issues in the class actions.

As a third-party administrator, we are unable to offer guidance on whether you should obtain legal advice, nor can we provide any legal advice.

Settlement Class Members are automatically represented by Class Counsel. Each Settlement Class Member who did not opt out of the class actions will be bound (and will bind their related Family Settlement Class Member(s)) by the terms of the court approved Settlement and will not be allowed to pursue an independent action against the Defendants related to the subject matter of the class actions.

Class Counsel legal fees will be paid from the approved Settlement Fund of CAD $9,050,000.00.

The courts have appointed Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc. (a third-party administrator) to receive and review Claims, determine eligibility for benefits from the Settlement, and distribute benefits to Approved Claimants.

Questions regarding the claims process should be directed to Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc. at 1-877-741-8728 or Info@YasminYazClassActionCanada.ca.

You may contact Class Counsel at:

You can also contact us for more information at the address below:

Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc.
Attn: YAZ/Yasmin Class Action Settlement Administrator
PO Box 507 STN B
Ottawa ON K1P 5P6
Email: Info@YasminYazClassActionCanada.ca
Telephone: 1-877-741-8728
Fax: 1-866-262-0816