New 'morning after' pill now available in Singapore

News Desk
The Straits Times

Women can now turn to a new 'morning after' pill to prevent pregnancies after unprotected sex.
The new drug, Ella, is said to work up to five days after sexual intercourse. Those currently available generally work for just three days afterwards.

 Ella is the first oral emergency contraceptive pill to be cleared for use by the Health Sciences Authority here in nearly a decade, Hyphens Pharma, which is marketing the drug, announced yesterday. The regulatory body approved the pill in June, making Singapore the first country in South-east Asia to do so.

The US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency have already approved the drug, in 2010 and 2009 respectively. It is only available with a doctor's prescription. One pack contains one tablet, and costs $39 to $49.

Women are advised to take one tablet as soon as possible after sexual intercourse.

In a clinical study published in medical journal The Lancet last year, Ella was shown to prevent 65 per cent more pregnancies for women than those on the current option of levonorgestrel, the only other oral emergency contraception available in Singapore.

A drawback with levonorgestrel is that women have to take two tablets, 12 hours apart.

"Some women forget the second pill, or have to suffer from the nauseating side effect twice," said Dr Chee Jing Jye, medical director of The Obstetrics and Gynaecology Centre.

The active ingredient in Ella, ulipristal acetate, works like the hormone progesterone in stopping ovulation, which in turn prevents pregnancy.

Common side effects include headaches, nausea, dizziness and heavy menstruation.

But the drug is not an abortion pill, and does not guard against sexually transmitted diseases.

Hyphens Pharma will launch the drug in other South-east Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam from next year.

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