Wyeth, the maker of Prempro also manufactures Premarin, which shares the same estrogen component.

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is a 15-year study of ways to prevent heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer, and osteoporosis. WHI, which consists of a set of clinical studies and an observational study, began in 1991 and involves more than 161,000 healthy postmenopausal women. WHI is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in collaboration with other units of the National Institutes of Health.

One of the clinical studies involved 16,608 women with a uterus who took either estrogen plus progestin therapy (specifically, Prempro™, manufactured by Wyeth) or a placebo (a substance that looks like the real drug but has no biologic effect). The main goal was to see if the therapy would help prevent heart disease and hip fractures. Another goal was to see if those possible benefits were greater than the possible risks for breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and blood clots. On July 9, 2002 NHBLI announced that this study would be stopped early because after 5.2 years the therapy's risks outweighed and outnumbered its benefits.

Specifically, the study found increased risks associated with the following:

• Strokes - 41% Increase
• Heart Attacks - 29% Increase
• Blood Clots - 105% Increase
• Heart Disease - 22% Increase
• Breast Cancer- 26% Increase

If you or a loved one took Prempro, Premarin or another hormone replacement therapy and have breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, heart disease or other complications, click here to have an attorney evaluate your case for free, with no obligation. Or, call toll free, 877.786.1LAW (1529). Any information you submit is kept private and confidential and is used for the sole purpose of evaluating your potential case.