The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7211 p204
17 August 2002

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

News summary

DTB questions whether Yasmin contraceptive is "truly different"

The claim that Yasmin, a new combined oral contraceptive, is "truly different" is not justified and should be withdrawn, according to the latest Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

The DTB concludes that there is no compelling evidence to suggest that Yasmin, which contains the new progestogen drospirenone (a derivative of spironolactone), offers any advantages over other, longer-established, combined oral contraceptives with regard to weight gain, skin condition or premenstrual symptoms.

The DTB reports that a claim made by Schering Health Care, manufacturer of Yasmin, that the product is a "pill for well-being" is based on a survey in which the authors state that there was no significant change in overall well-being. Professor Joe Collier, editor, DTB, said: "Overall, as there is no compelling evidence that Yasmin is any better than other combined oral contraceptives, we cannot recommend it."

In response to the DTB review, Schering Health Care said that the company wholly disagrees with the conclusions made. It describes the review as misleading and a flawed assessment of Yasmin. "We believe that this critique is unbalanced and inadequately supported by the discussion and analysis of the published work reviewed."

Schering Health Care also refutes the DTB claim that Yasmin's effects on cardiovascular risk have not been quantified. "This has been repeatedly quantified in periodic safety reports submitted to the various European regulatory authorities, and remains currently well within the expectation for a combined oral contraceptive product."

It adds that some aspects of the analysis of the published literature on Yasmin are unduly sceptical, with no support provided for the position taken by the DTB.

The DTB concludes that Yasmin cannot be recommended because it has no proven superiority over other combined oral contraceptives and costs more — 12 cycles of Yasmin cost the National Health Service approximately £59 compared with £7 to £38 for other products (2002;40:57).