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A pill with an innovative dosing regimen

Monitoring: Bayer HealthCare employee Lise Balica in the production facility for YAZ® tablets.

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Monitoring: Bayer HealthCare employee Lise Balica in the production facility for YAZ® tablets.

Leverkusen – Using the contraceptive pill used to mean taking a tablet every day for 21 days, followed by a seven-day break. Since the beginning of September 2008, users in many European countries have been able to select a low-dose oral contraceptive from Bayer HealthCare featuring a globally unique dosing regimen. With YAZ®, women can forego the customary seven-day break from the pill. Instead, they take active hormone tablets for 24 days and then hormone-free tablets for four days. Because of the extra three days of hormone tablets, users experience the benefits of the gestagen drospirenone – including reduced water retention – for longer. The shorter time without hormone pills also has the effect of reducing hormonal fluctuations. Bayer HealthCare also aims to gain marketing authorization for YAZ® in Europe for the treatment of acne and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). PMDD is associated with mood swings, irritability, anxiety, food cravings, breast tenderness, bloating and headache. YAZ® is already approved to treat acne and PMDD in the United States.