Talking about contraceptives usually conjures up traumatic images of high school health class, when the most awkward teacher would inevitably be chosen to enlighten a group of teenagers about the plethora of options available for safer sex.
But amidst all the information about sponges, foams, condoms and pills, the majority of the population still tends to gravitate towards the latter two, mostly because of factors like cost and accessibility. However, the Global Contraceptives Market is actually growing at a CAGR of 5.9 percent from 2013-2018, primarily because of developments across all types of contraceptives.
“The Global Contraceptives market is served by the presence of promising late-stage pipeline molecules being developed by various major players in the market,” says Faisal Ghaus, Vice President of TechNavio.
“About 120 projects have been identified in the global contraceptive technology R&D pipeline, with about 46 percent of these in phase II development.”
Ongoing Technological Developments
According to a recent TechNavio report, the use of newer contraceptives methods such as subdermal progestin implants, vaginal contraceptive rings, transdermal patches, and third-generation oral contraceptives is increasing among the various modern contraceptive methods. Currently, the prevalence of these methods is less than 10 percent in the US. The revenue share of these modern contraceptive products is expected to increase during the forecast period because of their increased safety and convenience. In addition, the development of multipurpose methods that prevent both pregnancy and STIs is increasing.
Some of the most promising methods include a vaginal ring that combines a hormonal contraceptive with an antiretroviral drug; a single-size diaphragm used with a reformulated tenofovir gel; and a topical gel that combines the hormonal contraceptive LNG with an antiretroviral. The development of a new technologically advanced method that addresses multiple sexual and reproductive health issues would cater to the unmet needs of the Global Contraceptives market.
TechNavio analysts have taken a look at some of the more interesting new contraceptives in the pipeline.
PATH and our partners are working to introduce the Woman’s Condom in developing-country markets and to explore strategies to increase access. Together we are building supply, verifying safety and efficacy, and developing markets for the Woman’s Condom, with initial introduction efforts taking place in China and South Africa.
These steps are bringing us closer to our ultimate vision: that the Woman’s Condom will be a broadly available and affordable option for those seeking protection from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
“Twirla™, also known as AG200-15, is an investigational once-weekly prescription contraceptive patch. Twirla™ is a combined hormonal contraceptive, or CHC, patch that contains the active ingredients ethinyl estradiol, or EE, which is a synthetic estrogen, and levonorgestrel, or LNG, which is a type of progestin, a synthetic steroid hormone, both of which have an established history of efficacy and safety in currently marketed combination low-dose, oral contraceptives.”
Population Council’s EE2/Nestorone ring
Population Council researchers have developed a one-year contraceptive vaginal ring– which, if approved by regulatory authorities—will be the first long-acting, reversible contraceptive under a woman’s control. This one-year ring contains Nestorone® (NES—an investigational new chemical entity) and ethinyl estradiol (EE), an approved, marketed hormonal product.
Our first product in development is an LNG-IUD that slowly releases the hormone levonorgestrel. In partnership with Actavis and pending FDA approval, this product will be made available in public clinics and private practices in the U.S. In general, the IUD can prevent pregnancy up to 20 times more effectively than the pill, patch or vaginal rings. Access to effective birth control for all women is crucial for empowerment around their health and life choices.
This is just a small snapshot of the work being done to make birth control and STI protection more affordable, reliable and accessible worldwide.
