Patent Issued For Barr's Extended-Cycle Contraceptive Seasonique

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 28 Jan 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday issued a patent for Barr Laboratories' extended-cycle oral contraceptive Seasonique, Reuters reports (Mahadevan, Reuters, 1/23). Seasonique, which FDA approved in May 2006, is similar to Barr's Seasonale and allows users to reduce their number of annual menstrual periods from 13 to four. Unlike Seasonale, Seasonique uses pills containing a 0.01 milligram dose of estrogen in place of placebo pills. Barr has said that using the low-dose estrogen pills instead of placebo pills for seven days limits bloating, hormonal fluctuations and breakthrough bleeding (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 5/26/06).

The patent will expire on Jan. 30, 2024, AFX/Forbes reports (Gaffikin, AFX/Forbes, 1/23). Barr Chair and CEO Bruce Downey said the company is "very pleased that the PTO has issued this important patent to protect" Seasonique's "intellectual property" (Barr release, 1/23).

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