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A once-a-month oral contraceptive
Ameya R Kirtane1,2, Tiffany Hua1,2, Alison Hayward1,2,3
1David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Science Translational Medicine
|December 6, 2019
Summary
A novel monthly oral contraceptive was developed to improve patient adherence and reduce unplanned pregnancies. In vivo studies in pigs demonstrated the successful design and function of this long-acting levonorgestrel-releasing gastric-resident dosage form.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive health
- Pharmacology
- Drug delivery systems
Background:
- Poor adherence to daily oral contraceptives is a primary reason for therapy failure.
- This leads to a significant global burden of unplanned pregnancies and negative impacts on female health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize a novel oral contraceptive with improved patient adherence.
- To create a gastric-resident dosage form for once-monthly administration of levonorgestrel.
Main Methods:
- Design of a levonorgestrel-releasing gastric resident dosage form.
- In vivo characterization of the dosage form in a porcine model.
Main Results:
- Successful in vivo characterization of the gastric resident dosage form.
- Demonstration of a levonorgestrel-releasing formulation suitable for once-monthly administration.
Conclusions:
- The developed gastric-resident oral contraceptive offers a promising approach to enhance patient adherence.
- This innovation has the potential to reduce unplanned pregnancies and improve worldwide female reproductive health outcomes.
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