Bayer Schering Pharma’s oral contraceptive Qlaira (estradiol valerate/dienogest) has been shown to reduce menstrual blood loss (MBL) in women suffering from heavy and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding.
The results of the international trial were presented by Ian Fraser, M.D., the principal investigator, at the World Congress of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO October 2009).
The trial also revealed that Qlaira improved iron metabolism parameters in these women.
“Menstrual disorders are too often left under-treated. Heavy bleeding has an adverse effect on many women in the UK. These data from this important phase III study with estradiol valerate/dienogest could pave the way for Qlaira to be the first and only oral contraceptive to be indicated for this common disorder. This will bring relief to the daily lives of the many women who suffer from it,” commented Dr Diana Mansour, Head of Contraception and Sexual Health Specialist in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
In the study, which involved 231 women from Europe and Australia, participants were confirmed to have heavy and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding over a 90-day run-in period. During the 90-day-treatment period, menstrual blood loss was significantly reduced by 458ml in the Qlaira group and by 93ml in the placebo group.
Qlaira, with an estradiol valerate/dienogest combination, is the first in a new class of oral contraceptives to deliver estradiol, the oestrogen identical to the one produced by the female body. It was launched in the UK in May 2009.