
Investigators designed a capsule that can be swallowed once a month, reside in the stomach and release a drug to prevent pregnancy
Daily oral contraceptive pills allow women to manage their fertility, but this method of contraception relies on a user remembering to take her pill at the same time every day. In a multi-national survey, up to half of women taking an oral contraceptive reported missing at least one dose over a three-month period. Among women using oral contraceptive pills, the chance of pregnancy is about 9 percent every year. A team led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MIT is designing a new method to help improve adherence and reduce the risk of pregnancy by offering an oral contraceptive that could be taken once a month. Building on previous research to develop slow-release pills that can reside in the stomach for days or weeks, the team reports in Science Translational Medicine that, for the first time, it has achieved month-long delivery in preclinical models.
“Our capsule represents a major advancement toward providing women with a once-a-month contraceptive. For many, this may be hard to believe. But our preclinical data is encouraging us along that road,” said co-corresponding author Giovanni Traverso, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist and physician-researcher at the Brigham and MIT. “We began our work on extended drug release by working with treatments for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. But early on, we were having conversations about the potential impact that extended drug release could have for family planning. We wanted to help empower women with respect to fertility control and are pleased to report our progress toward that goal.”
The team designed a drug-delivery vehicle that consists of six arms joined by an elastic-coated core. The arms were loaded with the oral contraceptive drug levonorgestrel and folded up into a capsule that can be swallowed. Once in the stomach, the arms unfold and have a span that is larger than the opening of the human pylorus, helping the system stay in the stomach where it can release the drug over time.
The research team tested the concentration of oral contraceptive over time in a pig model and measured the presence of the drug in the bloodstream for animals who had been given the extended-release form versus an immediate release tablet. For the tablet, dosage tapered off after six hours. For the extended-release form, the team observed concentrations of the drug for up to 29 days.
Work is now underway to bring the extended-release pill closer to human trials. Next steps will include scaling up manufacturing processes and safety evaluations.
Learn more: Once-A-Month Oral Contraceptive Pill in Development
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Oral contraceptive
- Contraceptive recalled for potentially causing unexpected pregnancy
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday that Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. is recalling Tydemy, an estrogen/progestin oral contraceptive used to prevent pregnancy. Tydemy was recalled ...
- Medicaid to cover over-the-counter birth control at pharmacies in North Carolina
The contraceptive, Opill, will be available through local and retail pharmacies without the need for a prescription for all North Carolina Medicaid beneficiaries. According to the Governor’s office, ...
- Medicaid to cover cost of Opill oral contraceptive at North Carolina pharmacies
The Opill oral contraceptive is now easily accessible for NC Medicaid beneficiaries. According to a news release, Governor Roy Cooper, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and a ...
- N.C. Medicaid to cover over-the-counter birth control pill
Opill will be available at retail pharmacies at no cost to Medicaid beneficiaries. It is the first OTC oral contraceptive approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is taken once a day. Perrigo, ...
- NC Medicaid will cover oral contraceptive Opill at pharmacies statewide
Opill is the first over-the-counter oral contraception that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Oral contraceptive
[google_news title=”” keyword=”oral contraceptive” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Once-a-month contraceptive
- Why doctors say that Ozempic patients on birth control should use condoms
Doctors warn that Ozempic patients should not rely on hormonal birth control and should use contraception, even if they struggle with fertility.
- N.C. Medicaid to cover over-the-counter birth control pill
It is taken once a day. Perrigo ... rural areas that have fewer providers and are considered maternal health and contraceptive deserts. For non-Medicaid beneficiaries, a one-month supply of Opill will ...
- Demand for Male Contraception
Male willingness to use a novel male method has been studied through a number of survey studies, as have female attitudes toward male contraception. While surveys measure only hypothetical ...
- ‘Eye Care’ For You
It’s Dry Eye Awareness Month. Dry eye syndrome now affects many Americans. From adults to children, more than half the population suffers from dry eye disease. The most common causes range from ...
- Great demand for free contraception
Vorarlberg is once again becoming a model region: Minister of Social Affairs Johannes Rauch presented the details of the pilot project "Informed Contraception in Vorarlberg" (INVVO) on Monday. The ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Once-a-month contraceptive
[google_news title=”” keyword=”once-a-month contraceptive” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]