Collaboration with academia in the development of post ovulatory methods

The 0.75-mg levonorgestrel-containing 'morning after' contraceptive tablet Postinor was developed by Gedeon Richter Ltd., Hungary. The product was first launched in 1979 and registered later in approximately 40 countries. In 1994, the World Health Organization offered the company participation in a multinational clinical trial to prove the superiority of the product over existing (Yuzpe-type) emergency contraceptive products. Based on these data the company was able to redesign the 'morning after' type Postinor into an 'emergency' pill, Postinor-2. During further clinical trials a close working relationship was formed between the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University in Szeged, Hungary, and Gedeon Richter. The advantages and challenges of cooperation between public- and private-sector institutions are analyzed in the paper.