Patch approved in EU
A new prescription birth control method has been approved by the European Commission. The first birth control patch, EVRA (norelgestromin/ethinyl estradiol transdermal system), combines the effectiveness of the pill with the ease of once-a-week dosing.
The thin patch is applied to the skin and worn for one week at a time and changed on the same day of the week for three consecutive weeks. The fourth week is 'patch free'. EVRA uses an innovative transdermal system to deliver a continuous flow of hormones through the skin and into the bloodstream to suppress ovulation. Janssen-Cilag Associates expects to launch EVRA during the second half of 2003.