FDA APPROVES ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE YAZ

Berlex, a U.S. affiliate of Schering, has announced that the FDA has approved Yaz (3 mg drospirenone/20 mcg ethinyl estradiol), a new monophasic oral contraceptive (OC) and the first pill to combine 20 mcg of ethinyl estradiol with the innovative progestin drospirenone (drsp). The 24-day, active hormone pill regimen of Yaz results in less hormonal fluctuation than traditional OCs that provide 21 days of active pills.

Yaz contains the progestin drospirenone, a spironolactone analogue with antimineralocorticoid properties. The 24-day active hormone pill regimen of Yaz combined with the 30-hour half life of drospirenone results in less hormonal fluctuation between cycles, compared to traditional oral contraceptives with 21 days of active pills and seven days of placebo. Preclinical studies indicate that drospirenone also provides an antiandrogenic effect, which means that it counteracts the effects of male hormones in the body.