FDA Approves Ready-To-Inject Version of Serono's Infertility Drug Ovidrel
October 10, 2003
KaiserNetwork.org
The FDA has approved Swiss-based Serono's ready-to-inject version of the company's infertility drug Ovidrel, the company announced on Wednesday, Reuters reports (Reuters, 10/8). Ovidrel is a recombinant version of human chorionic gonadotropin, one of three hormones used to treat infertility, according to a Serono release. The hormone triggers ovulation in women undergoing infertility treatment (Serono release, 10/8). The new version of Ovidrel comes in a pre-filled syringe and makes treatment easier because it does not require patients to mix the medicine themselves (Reuters, 10/8). The drug is the first liquid, ready-to-inject infertility drug available in the United States. Ovidrel had previously been available only in powder form. "The administration of the hormone medication needed to trigger ovulation is one of the most crucial steps in the infertility treatment cycle," Raymond Ke, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee, said, adding, "Having Ovidrel in a pre-filled syringe will make that step easier for patients and may alleviate some of the difficulties and stresses associated with infertility treatment" (Serono release, 10/8). The Ovidrel pre-filled syringe is expected to be on the market sometime next month. According to Reuters, infertility affects approximately 6.1 million people in the United States.
