FDA soon to approve contraceptive pill Lybrel that also stops periods

May 21 2007

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States is about to approve a birth control pill with a double whammy.

The contraceptive pill Lybrel has the added effect of suppressing a woman's periods altogether and can be taken continuously.

The drug eliminates a woman's period for as long as they remain taking it.

Lybrel which is manufactured by Wyeth is the first pill that can be taken continuously - standard birth control pill contain 21 daily active pills and seven sugar pills in order to reflect a woman's monthly period.

If Lybrel is approved it will be the fourth approved drug which affects the menstrual cycle.

Others include Yaz and Loestrin 24, which shorten menstrual periods to less than three days and Seasonique which limits periods to just four times in a year.

Lybrel contains the lowest dose permissible of the two main hormones that are used in birth control, ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel and the pill reputedly reduces many of the symptoms related to periods including bloating and irritability.

According to the drug company in clinical trials of Lybrel 59 percent of women stop bleeding, while some 18 percent stopped the drug because of spotting.

Surveys indicate that an increasing number of women want to control and have the option of limiting their monthly periods and analysts are predicting a tremendous demand for such drugs.