New Lawsuit Says Teva's Paragard IUD Can Disintegrate Upon Removal

HOUSTON - A Texas woman has sued Teva Pharmaceuticals in federal court, accusing it of failing to warn doctors and consumers that its Paragard Intrauterine Device can crumble or disintegrate upon removal, leaving device fragments embedded in the uterus.

In a Jan. 18 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the plaintiff alleges she was forced to undergo several surgeries, including a total hysterectomy, because surgeons could not remove fragments of the disintegrated Paragard device.

In January 2007, Michelle Barnes had a Teva Paragard IUD inserted, which stayed in place for nine years. …