Estradiol valerate (EV), sold for use by mouth under the brand name Progynova and for use by injection under the brand names Delestrogen and Progynon Depot among others, is an estrogen medication. It is used in hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and low estrogen levels, hormone therapy for transgender people, and in hormonal birth control. It is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer. The medication is taken by mouth or by injection into muscle or fat once every 1 to 4 weeks.
Norethisterone acetate (NETA), also known as norethindrone acetate and sold under the brand name Primolut-Nor among others, is a progestin medication which is used in birth control pills, menopausal hormone therapy, and for the treatment of gynecological disorders. The medication available in low-dose and high-dose formulations and is used alone or in combination with an estrogen. It is ingested orally.
Norethisterone, also known as norethindrone and sold under many brand names, is a progestin medication used in birth control pills, menopausal hormone therapy, and for the treatment of gynecological disorders. The medication is available in both low-dose and high-dose formulations and both alone and in combination with an estrogen. It is used by mouth or, as norethisterone enanthate, by injection into muscle.
Combined injectable contraceptives (CICs) are a form of hormonal birth control for women. They consist of monthly injections of combined formulations containing an estrogen and a progestin to prevent pregnancy.
Algestone acetophenide, also known more commonly as dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide (DHPA) and sold under the brand names Perlutal and Topasel among others, is a progestin medication which is used in combination with an estrogen as a form of long-lasting injectable birth control. It has also been used alone, but is no longer available as a standalone medication. DHPA is not active by mouth and is given once a month by injection into muscle.
Estradiol cypionate (EC), sold under the brand name Depo-Estradiol among others, is an estrogen medication which is used in hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and low estrogen levels in women, in hormone therapy for trans women, and in hormonal birth control for women. It is given by injection into muscle once every 1 to 4 weeks.
Norethisterone enanthate (NETE), also known as norethindrone enanthate, is a form of hormonal birth control which is used to prevent pregnancy in women. It is used both as a form of progestogen-only injectable birth control and in combined injectable birth control formulations. It may be used following childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion. The failure rate per year in preventing pregnancy for the progestogen-only formulation is 2 per 100 women. Each dose of this form lasts two months with only up to two doses typically recommended.
Estradiol enantate, also spelled estradiol enanthate and sold under the brand names Perlutal and Topasel among others, is an estrogen medication which is used in hormonal birth control for women. It is formulated in combination with dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide, a progestin, and is used specifically as a combined injectable contraceptive. Estradiol enantate is not available for medical use alone. The medication, in combination with DHPA, is given by injection into muscle once a month.
An estrogen ester is an ester of an estrogen, most typically of estradiol but also of other estrogens such as estrone, estriol, and even nonsteroidal estrogens like diethylstilbestrol. Esterification renders estradiol into a prodrug of estradiol with increased resistance to first-pass metabolism, slightly improving its oral bioavailability. In addition, estrogen esters have increased lipophilicity, which results in a longer duration when given by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection due to the formation of a long-lasting local depot in muscle and fat. Conversely, this is not the case with intravenous injection or oral administration. Estrogen esters are rapidly hydrolyzed into their parent estrogen by esterases once they have been released from the depot. Because estradiol esters are prodrugs of estradiol, they are considered to be natural and bioidentical forms of estrogen.
Estradiol hexahydrobenzoate (EHHB), sold under a number of brand names including Benzo-Ginoestril A.P., BenzoGynoestryl Retard, Ginestryl-15-Depot, Menodin, and Tardoginestryl, is an estrogen medication which was previously used for indications such as menopausal hormone therapy and gynecological disorders. EHHB is given by injection into muscle at regular intervals, for instance once every few weeks.
Estradiol benzoate butyrate (EBB), sold under the brand names Neolutin N, Redimen, Soluna, and Unijab and formerly known under the developmental code name Unimens, is an estrogen medication which is used in hormonal birth control for women. It is formulated in combination with dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide, a progestin, and is used specifically as a combined injectable contraceptive. EBB is not available for medical use alone. The medication, in combination with DHPA, is given by injection into muscle once a month.
Estradiol/progesterone (E2/P4), sold under the brand name Bijuva among others, is a combined estrogen and progestogen medication which is used in the treatment of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women. It contains estradiol, an estrogen, and progesterone, a progestogen, and is available in both oral and intramuscular formulations. E2/P4 differs from other estrogen–progestogen formulations in that the sex-hormonal agents used are bioidentical.
Estradiol cypionate/medroxyprogesterone acetate (EC/MPA), sold under the brand name Cyclofem among others, is a form of combined injectable birth control. It contains estradiol cypionate (EC), an estrogen, and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a progestin. It is recommended for short-term use and is given once a month by injection into a muscle.
Estradiol valerate/hydroxyprogesterone caproate (EV/OHPC), sold under the brand names Gravibinon and Injectable No. 1 among others, is a combined estrogen and progestogen medication which is used in the treatment of threatened miscarriage and other indications and as a form of combined injectable birth control to prevent pregnancy. It contains estradiol valerate (EV), an estrogen, and hydroxyprogesterone caproate (OHPC), a progestin. The medication is given by injection into muscle once a day to once a month depending on the indication.
Estradiol enantate/algestone acetophenide, also known as estradiol enantate/dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide (E2-EN/DHPA) and sold under the brand names Perlutal and Topasel among others, is a form of combined injectable birth control which is used to prevent pregnancy. It contains estradiol enantate (E2-EN), an estrogen, and algestone acetophenide, a progestin. The medication is given once a month by injection into muscle.
Estradiol/megestrol acetate (E2/MGA), sold under the brand names Mego-E and Chinese injectable No. 2, is a form of combined injectable birth control which is used in the People's Republic of China. It contains 3.5 mg estradiol (E2), an estrogen, and 25 mg megestrol acetate (MGA), a progestin. It is a microcrystalline aqueous suspension with a defined particle size range. The medication is given once per month by injection into muscle.
Estradiol benzoate butyrate/algestone acetophenide, also known as estradiol benzoate butyrate/dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide (EBB/DHPA) and sold under the brand names Neolutin N, Redimen, Soluna, and Unijab, is a form of combined injectable birth control which is used in Peru and Singapore. It contains estradiol benzoate butyrate (EBB), an estrogen, and algestone acetophenide, a progestin. The medication is given once per month by injection into muscle.
Estradiol undecylate/norethisterone enanthate (EU/NETE) is a combination medication of estradiol undecylate (EU), an estrogen, and norethisterone enanthate (NETE), a progestin, which was developed by Schering for potential use as a combined injectable contraceptive in women but was ultimately never marketed. It contained 5 to 10 mg EU and 50 to 70 mg NETE in oil solution and was intended for use by intramuscular injection at regular intervals. Although never commercialized, EU/NETE was found to be effective and well tolerated.
Estradiol valerate/methenmadinone caproate (EV/MMC), known by the tentative brand name Lutofollin, is a combination medication of estradiol valerate (EV), an estrogen, and methenmadinone caproate, a progestin, which was developed for potential use as a once-a-month combined injectable contraceptive but was never marketed. It contained 10 mg EV and 60 mg MMC in 1 mL oil solution and was intended for administration by intramuscular injection once every 4 weeks.
Estradiol valerate/megestrol acetate (EV/MGA) is a combined injectable contraceptive which was developed in China in the 1980s but was never marketed. It is an aqueous suspension of microcapsules containing 5 mg estradiol valerate (EV) and 15 mg megestrol acetate (MGA). It was also studied at doses of EV ranging from 0.5 to 5 mg and at doses of MGA ranging from 15 to 25 mg.
