Norgestrel was patented in 1961 and came into medical use, specifically in birth control pills, in 1966.[9][10][11] It was subsequently introduced for use in menopausal hormone therapy as well.[7] Norgestrel is sometimes referred to as a "second-generation" progestin.[12] It is marketed widely throughout the world.[7][4] Norgestrel is available as a
generic medication.[13] In 2021, the version with
ethinylestradiol was the 227th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1million prescriptions.[14][15] In July 2023, the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved norgestrel for
over-the-counter sale.[2]
Notes: Values are percentages (%). Reference
ligands (100%) were
promegestone for the
PRTooltip progesterone receptor,
metribolone (a =
mibolerone) for the
ARTooltip androgen receptor,
E2 for the
ERTooltip estrogen receptor,
DEXATooltip dexamethasone for the
GRTooltip glucocorticoid receptor,
aldosterone for the
MRTooltip mineralocorticoid receptor,
DHTTooltip dihydrotestosterone for
SHBGTooltip sex hormone-binding globulin, and
cortisol for
CBGTooltip Corticosteroid-binding globulin. Sources: See template.
The
ovulation-inhibiting dose of norgestrel appears to be greater than 75μg/day, as ovulation occurred in 50 to 75% of cycles with this dosage of norgestrel in studies.[17] The ovulation-inhibiting dosage of levonorgestrel, which is twice as potent as norgestrel, is approximately 50 to 60μg/day.[6][18][17] One review lists the ovulation-inhibiting dose of norgestrel as 100μg/day.[19] The
endometrial transformation dose of norgestrel is listed as 12mg per cycle and the
menstrual delay test dose of norgestrel is listed as 0.5 to 2mg/day.[19][20]
Norgestrel, also known as rac-13-ethyl-17α-ethynyl-19-nortestosterone or as rac-13-ethyl-17α-ethynylestr-4-en-17β-ol-3-one, is a
syntheticestranesteroid and a
derivative of
testosterone.[3][4] It is a
racemic mixture of
stereoisomers dextronorgestrel (the C13α isomer; l-norgestrel, L-norgestrel, or (+)-norgestrel) and
levonorgestrel (the C13β isomer; d-norgestrel, D-norgestrel, or (–)-norgestrel), the former of which is inactive (making norgestrel exactly half as
potent as levonorgestrel).[22][23] Norgestrel is more specifically a derivative of
norethisterone (17α-ethynyl-19-nortestosterone) and is a member of the
gonane (18-methylestrane) subgroup of the
19-nortestosterone family of progestins.[24]
Norgestrel was first introduced, as a birth control pill in combination with
ethinylestradiol, under the brand name Eugynon in Germany in 1966.[9][10] It was subsequently marketed as a combined birth control pill with ethinylestradiol in the United States under the brand name Ovral in 1968, and was marketed in many other countries as well.[25][26][7]
The contraceptive efficacy of norgestrel was established in the US with the original approval for prescription use in 1973.[2]
^
abOrtiz-Gómez T, Santesmases MJ (22 April 2016).
Gendered Drugs and Medicine: Historical and Socio-Cultural Perspectives. Taylor & Francis. pp. 175–.
ISBN978-1-317-12981-3. The 1966 marketing campaign for Schering's second contraceptive, Eugynon, [...] (Schering AG Berline 1966, 11). [...] In 1970 [Schering] had already conducted an opinion poll among doctors in the run up to the marketing campaign for the newly introduced Neogynon. [...]
^
abEndrikat J, Gerlinger C, Richard S, Rosenbaum P, Düsterberg B (December 2011). "Ovulation inhibition doses of progestins: a systematic review of the available literature and of marketed preparations worldwide". Contraception. 84 (6): 549–57.
doi:
10.1016/j.contraception.2011.04.009.
PMID22078182.
^Schindler AE, Campagnoli C, Druckmann R, Huber J, Pasqualini JR, Schweppe KW, et al. (December 2003). "Classification and pharmacology of progestins". Maturitas. 46 (Suppl 1): S7–S16.
doi:
10.1016/j.maturitas.2003.09.014.
PMID14670641.
^"Archived copy"(PDF).
Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link)