Schering Health Care is planning to market a progestogen-only emergency contraceptive in the UK. The company has secured distribution rights for a levonorgestrel product manufactured by Gedeon Richter, a Hungarian company.
This product was used in a large World Health Organisation study reported last year which compared levonorgestrel (0.75mg, repeated after 12 hours) and the standard oestrogen/progestrogen dose, as in Schering PC4. The progestogen-only regime was reported to be more effective and to be better tolerated, particularly in terms of nausea and vomiting. At present, there is no levonorgestrel product licensed for emergency contraception, although some doctors have been prescribing multiple doses of standard levo-norgestrel pills, a regimem that involves women taking 40 or 50 tablets.
Schering says that it hopes that the 0.75mg product will be licensed in the UK by the beginning of next year. A POM licence has been applied for.