Merck may be poised to settle lawsuits over its NuvaRing contraceptive for $100 million—a bargain, Bloomberg notes, compared to drugmakers such as Bayer, which has paid more than $1.6 billion over claims surrounding its birth control pills Yaz and Yazmin.
Women and families have sued the company, saying the drugmaker knew the contraceptive triggered a higher risk of heart attack and blood clots than competing products. Merck told Bloomberg that the proposed settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing and the company stands behind the contraceptive.
Ninety-five percent of the 3,800 plaintiffs need to agree to the settlement or Merck can walk away.
