Ortho Pharmaceutical

Last updated
Ortho Pharmaceutical
Industrypharmaceutical
Founded1931
Defunct1993;29 years ago (1993)
FateMerged with McNeil Pharmaceuticals in the US and Janssen Pharmaceutica in Canada (Both are now Johnson & Johnson)
Successors McNeil Pharmaceuticals in the US and Janssen Pharmaceutica in Canada later both became Johnson & Johnson
Area served
United States

Ortho Pharmaceutical was initially formed in the United States in 1931 as a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson to market the first prescription spermicidal contraceptive jelly, Ortho-Gynol.

Contents

History

In the 1940s, Ortho introduced the coil-spring diaphragm, and assisted in the development of the Papanicolaou smear stain to screen for cervical cancer.

In 1963, Ortho introduced the second oral contraceptive available in the United States (Ortho-Novum 10 and Ortho-Novum 2, produced by Syntex).
In 1964, Ortho bought rights to and marketed the Gynekoil (Margulies Coil) and Lippes Loop inert plastic IUDs in the United States until the mid-1970s and 1985, respectively.
In 1968, Ortho introduced RhoGAM Rho(D) immune globulin , the first medication developed to prevent Rh hemolytic disease of the newborn.

In 1973, Ortho and Syntex introduced the first progestogen only pills (mini-pills) available in the United States, Mirconor and Nor-QD.

In 1982, Ortho introduced the first biphasic oral contraceptive available in the United States, Ortho-Novum 10/11.
In 1984, Ortho introduced the first triphasic oral contraceptive available in the United States, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7.
In 1989, the FDA approved Ortho Cyclen containing the first new progestin (norgestimate) approved in over 20 years in the United States.

In 1992, Ortho introduced Ortho Tri-Cyclen in the United States, which in 1996 became the first oral contraceptive with an FDA-approved non-contraceptive indication (treatment of moderate acne).
From 1995 to 2003, Ortho marketed the ParaGard copper T-380A IUD in the United States.

In 2001, Ortho introduced the Ortho Evra transdermal contraceptive patch in the United States.

In 1993, Ortho Pharmaceutical merged with McNeil Pharmaceutical in 1993 to form Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical.

In Canada, Ortho Products began operations in Montreal in 1941. The company started with one product and three employees and it was one of the first companies in Canada to make oral contraceptives. Moving to Toronto in 1944, the company outgrew a number of rented facilities until its own facilities were constructed in 1955. Continued growth required a number of plant expansions. Ortho Pharmaceutical Canada merged with McNeil Pharmaceutical Canada in 1991, and merged with Janssen Pharmaceutica Canada in 1995 to form Janssen-Ortho.

See also

Related Research Articles

Copper IUDs Birth control and emergency contraception

Intrauterine device (IUD) with copper, also known as intrauterine coil, is a type of intrauterine device which contains copper. It is used for birth control and emergency contraception within five days of unprotected sex. It is one of the most effective forms of birth control with a one-year failure rate around 0.7%. The device is placed in the uterus and lasts up to twelve years. It may be used by women of all ages regardless of whether or not they have had children. Following removal, fertility quickly returns.

Emergency contraception Birth control measures taken after sexual intercourse

Emergency contraception (EC) is a birth control measure, used after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined oral contraceptive pill</span> Birth control method which is taken orally

The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), often referred to as the birth control pill or colloquially as "the pill", is a type of birth control that is designed to be taken orally by women. It includes a combination of an estrogen and a progestogen. When taken correctly, it alters the menstrual cycle to eliminate ovulation and prevent pregnancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnson & Johnson</span> American multinational pharmaceutical and consumer goods corporation

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is ranked No. 36 on the 2021 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. Johnson & Johnson is one of the world's most valuable companies, and is one of only two U.S.-based companies that has a prime credit rating of AAA, higher than that of the United States government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levonorgestrel</span> Hormonal medication used for birth control

Levonorgestrel is a hormonal medication which is used in a number of birth control methods. It is combined with an estrogen to make combination birth control pills. As an emergency birth control, sold under the brand name Plan B among others, it is useful within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The more time that has passed since sex, the less effective the medication becomes, and it does not work after pregnancy (implantation) has occurred. Levonorgestrel works by preventing ovulation or fertilization from occurring. It decreases the chances of pregnancy by 57 to 93%. In an intrauterine device (IUD), such as Mirena among others, it is effective for the long-term prevention of pregnancy. A levonorgestrel-releasing implant is also available in some countries.

Contraceptive patch

A contraceptive patch, also known as "the patch", is a transdermal patch applied to the skin that releases synthetic oestrogen and progestogen hormones to prevent pregnancy. They have been shown to be as effective as the combined oral contraceptive pill with perfect use, and the patch may be more effective in typical use.

G.D. Searle, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer. It is currently a trademark company and subsidiary of Pfizer, operating in more than 43 countries. It also operates as a distribution trademark for various pharmaceuticals that were developed by G. D. Searle & Company .Searle is most notable for having developed the first female birth control pill, and the artificial sweetener NutraSweet. Searle also invented the drug Lomotil that enabled space travel by humans, and was the drug taken by Neil Armstrong to stop bowel movements prior to the Apollo Program. One of the notable Alumni of Searle is Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of State for Bush in the 2000s and the mastermind behind preemptive war. Prior to its 1985 merger with Monsanto, Searle was a company mainly focusing on life sciences, specifically pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and animal health.

Extended or continuous cycle combined oral contraceptive pills are a packaging of combined oral contraceptive pills (COCPs) that reduce or eliminate the withdrawal bleeding that would occur once every 28 days in traditionally packaged COCPs. It works by reducing the frequency of the pill-free or placebo days. Extended cycle use of COCPs may also be called menstrual suppression, although other hormonal medications or medication delivery systems may also be used to suppress menses. Any brand of combined oral contraceptive pills can be used in an extended or continuous manner by simply discarding the placebo pills; this is most commonly done with monophasic pills in which all of the pills in a package contain the same fixed dosing of a synthetic estrogen and a progestin in each active pill.

Norgestimate

Norgestimate, sold under the brand names Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Previfem among others, is a progestin medication which is used in birth control pills for women and in menopausal hormone therapy. The medication is available in combination with an estrogen and is not available alone. It is taken by mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janssen Pharmaceuticals</span> Belgian pharmaceutical company

Janssen Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Beerse, Belgium, and wholly-owned by Johnson & Johnson. It was founded in 1953 by Paul Janssen.

Ortho is a Greek prefix meaning “straight”, “upright”, “right” or “correct”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical</span> Pharmaceutical company

The company was formed from the merger of Ortho Pharmaceutical and McNeil Pharmaceutical in 1993. Both of these pharmaceutical companies are pioneers and leaders in areas such as pain management, acid reflux disease, and infectious diseases. Ortho-McNeil and Janssen Pharmaceutica together compose the Ortho-McNeil-Janssen group within Johnson & Johnson.

Hormonal contraception refers to birth control methods that act on the endocrine system. Almost all methods are composed of steroid hormones, although in India one selective estrogen receptor modulator is marketed as a contraceptive. The original hormonal method—the combined oral contraceptive pill—was first marketed as a contraceptive in 1960. In the ensuing decades many other delivery methods have been developed, although the oral and injectable methods are by far the most popular. Hormonal contraception is highly effective: when taken on the prescribed schedule, users of steroid hormone methods experience pregnancy rates of less than 1% per year. Perfect-use pregnancy rates for most hormonal contraceptives are usually around the 0.3% rate or less. Currently available methods can only be used by women; the development of a male hormonal contraceptive is an active research area.

George Rosenkranz

George Rosenkranz was a pioneering Mexican scientist in the field of steroid chemistry, who used native Mexican plant sources as raw materials. He was born in Hungary, studied in Switzerland and emigrated to the Americas to escape the Nazis, eventually settling in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janssen Biotech</span> Biotechnology company

Janssen Biotech, Inc., formerly Centocor Biotech, Inc., is a biotechnology company that was founded in Philadelphia in 1979 with an initial goal of developing new diagnostic assays using monoclonal antibody technology.

Birth control pills come in a variety of formulations. The main division is between combined oral contraceptive pills, containing both estrogens and synthetic progestogens (progestins), and progestogen only pills. Combined oral contraceptive pills also come in varying types, including varying doses of estrogen, and whether the dose of estrogen or progestogen changes from week to week.

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a healthcare company of Johnson & Johnson composed of two divisions:

William Pollack was a British-born American immunologist who developed the Rho(D) immune globulin vaccine against Rh disease, a leading cause of erythroblastosis fetalis. Pollack co-developed the vaccine, also known by the RhoGAM brand name, which is given to pregnant women to prevent Rh disease, with Dr. Vincent Freda and Dr. John G. Gorman of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Pollack's vaccine, introduced in 1968, virtually eliminated cases of Rh disease in developed countries. Prior to the RhoGAM vaccine, Rh disease was responsible for approximately 10,000 infant deaths in the United States annually.

Mestranol/norethisterone is a combination of the estrogen ethinylestradiol and the progestin norethisterone (norethindrone) which was introduced in 1963 and was the second combined oral contraceptive to be marketed, following mestranol/noretynodrel in 1960. Although most mestranol-containing oral contraceptive formulations have been discontinued, the combination remains available today in the United States in a single formulation under the brand name Norinyl 1+50 28-Day. It has largely been superseded by ethinylestradiol/norethisterone, which has been marketed under many of the same brand names.

References