Numerous studies have linked Prempro™ use to a drastically increased chance of life-threatening cardiovascular events, as well as cancer. Prempro™ is the single pill hormone replacement therapy, containing a cocktail of Premarin® and progestins, which were formerly taken in conjunction, but in separate doses, to help combat the symptoms of menopause.

Prempro™ met great fanfare upon its release. The HRT seemed to decrease the occurrence of hip fractures and colorectal cancer, and in 2001, as many as 22 million prescriptions were written to treat menopausal women, accounting for $890 million of the Wyeth’s sales that year.

In an effort to determine the extent of Prempro’s health benefits, by the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) launched a 8-year long clinical study. During the study, over 16,500 women were studied to see the effect of Prempro™ versus a placebo on the body.

Frightening statistics were found. Prempro™ use was determined to increase a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer by 26%, strokes by 41%, blood clots by 100%, and cardiovascular disease by 22%. With such staggering evidence of health risks, the WHI Prempro study was prematurely halted after only 5 years.

The results of the WHI study were so shocking, the American Heart Association and Journal of the American Medical Association both requested that women discontinue use of Prempro™. In may of 2003, an American Medical Association study linked Prempro™ with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and various forms of dementia.

Following the termination of the WHI study, Prempro™ sales plummeted by 66%, and many women have decided to endure menopause discomfort to avoid the glaring health risks involved in using HRTs.

Nonetheless, many women rely on Prempro™ to ease the discomfort associated with menopause. If you or a loved one has experienced the harmful side effects of Prempro™ or other HRT drugs, please contact our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area Prempro™ lawyers today to discuss your legal options.