In 2003, Emmanuelle was discovered with endometriosis, a chronic disease that affected one in ten women. At that time, she was 39 years old and wanted to have the uterus and the ovaries withdrawn. Her doctor refused saying that she was too young and that she might want other children later. He was subsequently prescribed him for 14 years from the Androcur, a medication to relieve his pain.

When she returned to see her doctor to talk to her about symptoms she found bizarre, like her leg which no longer held her, the latter told her to play sports, to build muscle. She thought he was certainly right. It was in August 2017, on Sunday morning, that Emmanuelle noticed that her right hand no longer closed. She was in pain, but her hand remained inert.

So she went to see her doctor and remembers a particular sentence that marked her: "Make an effort, make an effort to close the hand." She couldn't. So we made him pass an MRI, as a precaution. She had the shock of seeing a tumor large like an orange, a second the size of a plum and three other small small cherry in her brain.

She made an emergency appointment with a Parisian neurosurgeon, who said to her: "Everything you have in the head is due to the treatment you have taken against endometriosis." It is the cold shower for Emmanuelle, who asks her how many percentage he was sure. He replied “100 %”. Very angry, it was inconceivable for her that her tumors were due to treatment and that no doctor warned her.

Emmanuelle was operated a few weeks later, in October 2017. The biggest tumor was removed, but the risk was too large to remove the other four. When she woke up, she found herself hemiplegic and aphasic on the right side of her body. It took a few weeks to find the entire movements, and almost 6 months to speak. She had to do speech therapy rehabilitation. Even today, it is difficult for her to speak more than 2, 3 hours a day.

In January 2019, she founded the AMAVEA Association , intended for the support of the victims of meningiomas due to drugs and other progestins. It is not an isolated case. Nearly 500 victims have been identified in recent years, a figure very underestimated according to her. The causal link between the appearance of meningiomas and Androcur, Lutéran and Lotényl treatments was established within the framework of a legal proceedings.

At the beginning of 2020, Emmanuelle began legal proceedings with her lawyers in order to obtain compensation for the prejudices suffered. Today, she lives with four brain tumors and fights to understand how hundreds of women can be in the same situation as it is.

Following this interview, we asked the Bayer laboratory, here is its response dated November 3, 2020:

“Meningioma cases have been reported on Androcur® (cyproterone acetate) in women and men. This risk is described in product information such as the notice, and healthcare professionals must prescribe drugs after an exhaustive assessment of profits and risks for each patient. This risk is continuously monitored, evaluated and communicated by Bayer to the health authorities.

The Committee for the Risk Assessment of Pharmacovigilance (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency confirmed in February 2020 that the benefit/risk ratio of Androcur is considered favorable when used in accordance with marketing authorizations.

At Bayer, we take the safety of patients very seriously and permanently ensure the safety profile of our drugs to ensure that the information relating to the drugs that we provide health professionals and patients are reflection of the most recent scientific evidence. This commitment includes an in -depth and constant evaluation of scientific publications relating to our drugs. Bayer also regularly informed the regulatory authorities around the world of the arrival of new data concerning his drugs, and works with them to update the information instructions, if necessary.

Regarding legal proceedings, Bayer does not comment on current or future procedures. ”