Report: Women's Health Series: How Have New Oral Contraceptives Changed the Market?

The oral contraceptive market is mature, with a high level of competition and a stable patient population. Dozens of oral contraceptives are available worldwide; most are comparable in terms of effi cacy in their primary indication (preventing pregnancy) and safety. As a result, drug developers have implemented a variety of strategies to differentiate their products from one another, including aggressive and expensive direct-toconsumer (DTC) marketing campaigns and the pursuit of new approvals for additional indications.

Oral contraceptives have been available for more than 40 years and are the most popular form of prescription birth control. What types of oral contraceptives are available? What are physicians' preferred brands? What brands do patients specifi cally request?
Oral contraceptives can be implemented for uses beyond the prevention of pregnancy. What other indications are oral contraceptives often prescribed to treat? What agents have received approval for multiple indications? What percentage of patients use oral contraceptives for reasons other than birth control?
The drugs' similarity in effi cacy and safety has forced drug manufacturers to fi nd other methods of establishing a competitive position. What attributes are companies highlighting to differentiate their products? How does DTC advertising factor into a product' s adoption in the market?

Specialist opinions: obstetricians/gynecologists were surveyed to determine their opinions on current and emerging contraceptives.
Overview of oral contraceptives: the menstrual cycle, estrogen/progestin oral contraceptives, progestin-only oral contraceptives.
Commonly prescribed brands: Bayer' s Yaz and Yasmin, Warner Chilcott' s Loestrin 24 Fe, Ortho- McNeil/Janssen' s Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, Barr Pharmaceuticals' Seasonale and Seasonique.
Marketing campaigns and product adoption: analysis of the effect of promotional spend, including DTC advertising, on the uptake of a new product.
Emerging agents: Schering-Plough' s NOMAC/E2 and Duramed' s DR-1021.
Outlook for the oral contraceptive market: 2007 sales, impact of new birth control methods, drivers and constraints of market growth.
Women' s Health Series: in 2007, the market for women' s reproductive health exceeded $23 billion worldwide. In the Women' s Health Series, we examine three specifi c markets, focusing on areas of unmet need and the best marketing strategies to ensure adoption of a new agent. We provide insight from a variety of thought leaders on the current state of disease treatment and their opinions on the most promising agents currently in the pipeline.