Thirty-seven lawsuits recently were filed in Essex County, N.J., Superior Court and a federal court in Newark, N.J., against the pharmaceutical company Organon USA, alleging that the firm's contraceptive device NuvaRing caused blood-clot complications that resulted in amputations, pulmonary embolisms and death, the New York Post reports (Fisher, New York Post, 7/1).

NuvaRing, which is a vaginal contraceptive device that prevents pregnancy by releasing low doses of the hormones estrogen and progestin near the cervix, became available in the U.S. in the summer of 2002. The device is 98% to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when used properly -- a rate comparable to that of birth control pills (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/4/03).

NuvaRing "is being marketed as a safe alternative to the [birth control] patch, and it's not," Steven Blau -- of the law firm Blau & Brown, which filed the lawsuits -- said, adding, "We want the FDA to take notice of the misrepresentation by the drug company with respect to the safety and efficacy of the NuvaRing." Frances DeSena, a company spokesperson, said, "NuvaRing is not hazardous," adding, "It's been tested and proven for the FDA." The company declined to comment on the lawsuits. According to the Post, about 4.5 million women worldwide use NuvaRing (New York Post, 7/1).