Safety and tolerability of a new low-dose contraceptive patch in obese and nonobese women.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The safety and tolerability of a new low-dose levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol (LNG/EE) contraceptive patch was compared with 2 combination oral contraceptives in 2 clinical studies in which approximately 30% of enrolled participants were obese.

STUDY DESIGN:

Two phase 3, open-label, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter trials compared the LNG/EE contraceptive patch (n = 1579) with combination oral contraceptives (n = 581) in healthy women 17-40 years of age. Combination oral contraceptives were LNG 100 μg per EE 20 μg (combination oral contraceptive 20; n = 375) or LNG 150 μg per EE 30 μg (combination oral contraceptive 30; n = 206). Safety and tolerability data from the 2 trials were evaluated in integrated safety analyses.

RESULTS:

Treatment-emergent adverse events of 2% or greater in the LNG/EE contraceptive patch were nasopharyngitis (5.2%), nausea (4.1%), upper respiratory infection (3.5%), headache (3.4%), sinusitis (2.9%), cervical dysplasia (2.3%), and urinary tract infection (2.1%). Including skin reaction-related treatment-emergent adverse events, the proportion of women who experienced any treatment-emergent adverse event was similar among women randomized to the contraceptive patch (47.5%), the combination oral contraceptive 20 (47.4%), or the combination oral contraceptive 30 (46.8%). The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was similar in obese vs nonobese participants in all groups. Serious adverse events occurred in less than 1% of participants in any of the treatment groups.

CONCLUSION:

The LNG/EE contraceptive patch and combination oral contraceptives were well tolerated and associated with similar treatment-emergent adverse event incidences in obese and nonobese women.

• Authors: Andrew M Kaunitz, David F Archer, Daniel R Mishell Jr, Marie Foegh
• Journal: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology (Am J Obstet Gynecol) Vol. 212 Issue 3 Pg. 318.e1-8 (Mar 2015) ISSN: 1097-6868 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25220709 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Phase III, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Contraceptives, Oral, Combined
• Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal
• Drug Combinations
• Ortho Evra
• ethinyl estradiol, levonorgestrel drug combination
• Norgestrel
• Ethinyl Estradiol
• Levonorgestrel

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Contraceptives, Oral, Combined (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Drug Combinations
• Ethinyl Estradiol (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Female
• Humans
• Levonorgestrel (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Norgestrel (adverse effects, analogs & derivatives)
• Obesity
• Patient Outcome Assessment
• Transdermal Patch
• Young Adult