Pharmacy Daily | Levonorgestrel review

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has said it is reviewing recent information which suggests levonorgestrel might not be effective for women weighing more than 70 kg. The review is in conjunction with MedSafe. The oral emergency contraceptive is marketed in Australia as NorLevo-1, NorLevo, Postinor and Levonelle. The review comes after a French manufacturer, HRA Pharma, found that the emergency contraceptive began to lose effectiveness when women reached about 75kg, CNN reported, and did not work at all for women who weighed more than 80kg. The European Norlevo label changes were expected early this year, Reuters reported. The US Food and Drug Administration told the publication it was reviewing the available information on the issue and would then determine if any label changes were needed. The TGA said consumers were advised that irrespective of weight, levonorgestrel might not prevent pregnancy in every case.

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