Arthur Ashe Center officials are trying to contact every female
student taking Lunelle, a contraceptive injected monthly, so they
can arrange for them to take another method of birth control.
Two years after its Food and Drug Administration approval,
Lunelle was pulled off the market.
In October the Pharmacia Corporation announced a voluntary
recall of all pre-filled Lunelle syringes currently on the market.
The FDA had no part in the decision.
The company explained in a press release they were recalling
only pre-filled syringes “due to a lack of assurance of full
potency and possible risk of contraceptive failure.” Lunelle
packaged in vials was not recalled.
The Ashe Center pulled all pre-filled syringes they had in
stock, said Ann Brooks, a nurse practitioner and nurse manager of
women’s health at the Ashe Center.
The Ashe Center began carrying Lunelle in April and May, Brooks
said, noting that the drug was gaining popularity.
A month before the recall between 25 and 30 women received a
Lunelle injection, Brooks said. Lunelle does not have as many
prescriptions because it is relatively new she said, but of those
who were on it, the majority she spoke with switched to EVRA, a
once a week patch.
The once-a-month birth control shot has contraceptive benefits
similar to birth control pills, but is more convenient, according
to the Pharmacia Web site. Lunelle was the first once-a-month
contraceptive for women in the United States.
The drug is over 99 percent effective, said Bryant Haskins, a
spokesperson for Pharmacia Corporation.
“We’ve seen no increase in the number of pregnancies
with Lunelle,” Haskins said.
Pharmacia also carries Depo-Provera, a contraceptive shot taken
every three months.
The recall of Lunelle sprung from a customer who called in to
complain about the quality of the drug, Haskins said.
“There is some potential for subpotency in some pre-filled
syringes,” he said, explaining that subpotency means the drug
might not be as strong as it is supposed to be.
Haskins said Pharmacia is conducting tests, looking at records,
and examining each step of the manufacturing process before Lunelle
is put back on shelves.
Sara Raoof, a fourth-year psychology student, is currently
taking Yasmin, a daily pill. She said that nothing is 100 percent
effective, but patients and doctors need to do their own
research.
“Patients need to read labels for effectiveness,”
she said, adding that they should check to see how long the drug
has been out, what are the side effects, and possibility of birth
defect.
Raoof said she noticed from her personal work with a doctor that
pharmaceutical companies don’t test drugs on large enough
samples before the FDA approves it.
“But it’s not their fault, they don’t have the
funding,” she added.
Haskins is unsure when the drug will be reissued, but for now
Pharmacia has contacted customers, physicians and agencies like
Planned Parenthood to make them aware of the recall.
Brooks said she hopes to see Lunelle back because it was
popular, and there are few contraceptive options available.
Dianna Lester, a fifth-year molecular biology graduate student,
agreed with Brooks. She said researchers should keep looking for
more convenient options, anything patients take less
frequently.
Lester, who has been taking TriPhasal, a daily pill, for eight
years, said she has thought of switching to other birth control
methods, but it would have to be tested for years.
“It takes a while to find (a contraceptive) that works for
you, that’s why I haven’t switched,” she said.
Lester had to try three different pills before she found
TriPhasal.