Combination of | |
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Norelgestromin | Progestogen |
Ethinylestradiol | Estrogen |
Clinical data | |
Trade names | Ortho Evra, Xulane, Evra, others |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Professional Drug Facts |
MedlinePlus | a602006 |
License data | |
Pregnancy category |
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Routes of administration | Transdermal (patch) |
ATC code | |
Legal status | |
Legal status | |
Identifiers | |
CAS Number | |
PubChem CID | |
DrugBank | |
ChemSpider |
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UNII | |
KEGG | |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C41H53NO4 |
Molar mass | 623.878 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
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Norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol, sold under the brand name Ortho Evra among others, is a contraceptive patch containing the progestin norelgestromin and the estrogen ethinylestradiol. [4] [6] [7]
The most common side effects include headache, nausea (feeling sick), breast tenderness, and irregular uterine bleeding. [6] [4]
Norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol is a transdermal patch (a patch that delivers a medicine across the skin). [6] For the first three weeks of the menstrual cycle a new patch should be applied every week, followed by a fourth week, which is patch-free. [6] The patch-free interval must not be longer than seven days; otherwise, additional non-hormonal contraceptive methods must be used, such as condoms. [6] Transdermal patches must always be applied on the same day of the week to the buttock, abdomen (belly), upper arm or upper back. [6] The same area of skin should not be used for two consecutive patches. [6] Norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol may work less well in women weighing 198 pounds (90 kg) or more. [6]
Norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol was approved for medical use in the United States in November 2001, and in the European Union in August 2002. [8] [6] It is available as a generic medication. [4] [9]
In the United States norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women with a BMI < 30 kg/m2 for whom a transdermal delivery system is an appropriate method of contraception. [4]
In the European Union, norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol is indicated for use as female contraception. [6]