NEW YORK and BLAINVILLE, QC, Nov. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Population Council and Duchesnay announce an exclusive license agreement to make ANNOVERA® (segesterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol vaginal system), the first and only contraceptive fully under a woman's control to protect against unintended pregnancy for up to a year, available in Canada, Europe, Latin America, Asia and other territories. This agreement is another step toward bringing contraceptive choice, convenience and control to women around the world.
ANNOVERA is the first in a new class of contraceptives. It is a soft reusable flexible silicone ring that combines a novel progestin Nestorone® (segesterone acetate) with a widely used estrogen (ethinyl estradiol), that can be inserted and removed by a woman herself. ANNOVERA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2018 and is now available to women in the United States.
"A lack of longer-lasting, women-controlled contraceptives means too many women who want to avoid pregnancy either don't use, or stop using, contraception, leading to more unintended pregnancies and worse health outcomes," said Jim Sailer, vice president and executive director of the Center for Biomedical Research at the Population Council. "This agreement will now open up opportunities to bring ANNOVERA to women on four continents—it's another step forward in ensuring that women around the world have the contraceptive choices they deserve."
ANNOVERA was developed by the Population Council and supported by important public and private donors from around the world, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The Contraceptive Clinical Trials Network of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Avis and Clifford Barrus Medical Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO).
As part of the agreement, Duchesnay will explore opportunities to register ANNOVERA with local regulatory agencies in these regions and will invest in the Population Council's research activities to develop new innovative contraceptive products.
"We are very excited to be a part of the Population Council's efforts to bring important new contraceptive options to women around the world. As a company committed to improving women's health, we believe that women deserve access to a wide variety of innovative contraceptive options such as ANNOVERA giving them full control of their lives," said Eric Gervais, executive vice president at Duchesnay.
About the Population Council
The Population Council confronts critical health and development issues—from stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, non-profit organization governed by an international board of trustees.
Learn more at http://www.popcouncil.org.
About Duchesnay
Duchesnay is a specialty pharmaceutical company with a long-standing commitment to women's health. Until recently, the company focused on filling the void in terms of scientific research and education and on developing pharmacological solutions that are safe and effective for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Today, Duchesnay has broadened its portfolio of products to offer safe and effective therapeutic options that meet the health and quality of life needs of women and their family members at different stages of their lives.
For more information about Duchesnay, please visit https://www.duchesnay.com.
Dominique Touchette, Duchesnay, communications@duchesnay.com, 1 877 833-7734