By DPA
Washington : The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first birth control pill for continuous use that can stop indefinitely a woman's monthly preparation of pregnancy.
Lybrel, produced by Wyeth, comes in a 28-day pill pack with a low dosage of hormones ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel, which are already widely used in birth-control pills. The pill prevents conception by halting menstrual period indefinitely.
The first ever contraception pill to put off periods altogether when taken without a break, Lybrel was approved by the FDA Tuesday. Standard birth control pills have a 21-days on, and a 7-days off regimen that are placebos or pill-free.
Women who use Lybrel would not have a menstrual period, but will most likely have unscheduled bleeding or spotting, according to the FDA.
Two year long clinical studies involving more than 2,400 women, aged 18 to 49, were conducted before approval and 59 per cent of the women who participated had no bleeding after six months.
Sales of Lybrel by New Jersey based Wyeth will start in July in the United States.