Paragard is what is known as an intrauterine device (UID) for birth control. UID means it is a device implanted into the uterus to provide continuous birth control over a long time.
The original manufacturer of the Paragard contraceptive is Teva Pharmaceuticals. Teva Pharmaceuticals sold Paragard to CooperSurgical for $1.1 billion in 2017.
The design of Paragard is a T-shaped medical device with all three sides of the “T” wrapped in a small amount of copper wire.
The Paragard medical device is inserted into the uterus of a woman by a medical professional. Once inserted into the uterus, the copper wire will then dissolve slowly for a maximum of 10 years while it releases copper into the uterus.
The act of continuously dissolving small amounts of copper into the uterus creates an environment where sperm cannot reach the egg for fertilization. Because it uses copper, Paragard is the only UID non-hormonal medical device approved by the FDA for use as birth control. Because it is the only non-hormonal UID, it is a popular choice among women.
Paragard is supposed to remain fully intact during insertion, use, and removal. However, there is a design defect. After many years of service, the plastic the device is made of will harden and become brittle and has caused the arms of the T-shape to break off into pieces inside the uterus during removal and lodged inside the woman’s body. Sometimes the device will break up inside the body even before removal.
As a result, serious complications causing injury to thousands of women have occurred. Complications include but are not limited to organ perforation, infections, scarring, infertility, required C-sections, required hysterectomy, ectopic pregnancy, device migration requiring other types of surgeries, and more.
Paragard is still in its early stages as a mass tort with thousands of pending cases. There are some associated risks with cases that have not yet reached verdicts or settlements. But if you are an aggressive firm seeking an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this mass tort, we can help you acquire these types of clients with a steady stream of signed Paragard client retainers.