Organon receives contraceptive approval in “important market”

Organon, the pharmaceuticals division of Akzo Nobel, has said that its NuvaRing contraceptive has been approved in Australia, a country described by the Dutch company as “an important market”.

NuvaRing is a monthly contraceptive ring which TIME Magazine once voted as Best Invention of the Year for Health. It is used by one million women in 26 countries, with half of them based in the US, where the product has been approved since 2002.

The NuvaRing contraceptive will be released early in Australia early in 2007.

Toon Wilderbeek, the president of Organon and member of Akzo Nobel’s board of management, stated: “This latest approval for NuvaRing in Australia – an important market – will add to the very clear momentum growing around this unique contraceptive option as a result of the numerous advantages it offers.”

“No single method will be suitable for all women, but we believe that NuvaRing will continue to grow as more and more women are trying it and are satisfied with the method,” he added.

Mr Wilderbeek added that Organon also has a new contraceptive pill in phase III development. He said that the NOMAC/E2 pill is viewed as the “first major innovation in hormone content” since the pill was introduced in the 1960s” and that the company would continue to invest in seeking novel technologies to meet unmet contraceptive needs.

Last month, Mr Wilderbeek played down suggestions that Organon would have to be bought in order to survive, telling Reuters Health: “We are big enough to do our own research.”

Analysts expect Organon to be listed publicly on the stock exchange in 2007.

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