Swissmedic backs safety of hormonal contraceptives containing drospirenone

The Swiss regulatory authority Swissmedic has conducted an analysis with its expert medical committee on the latest data and studies regarding the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with oral hormonal contraceptives.

In its press release, Swissmedic emphasizes that oral hormonal contraceptives containing the active substance drospirenone have a comparable safety profile to that of other preparations available on the market. Furthermore, Swissmedic confirmed that the risk of VTE among all oral contraceptives is greatest during the first year of intake.

The move follows the death in Switzerland of a 21-year-old girl in September after taking a drospirenone-containing contraceptive from German drug major Bayer's Yasmin line. In Germany, a 25-year old woman collapsed in July with three thromboses in her lung. Since 2001, seven women in Germany have died while taking a contraceptive from the Yasmin family.