NORPLANT: Manufacturer Halts Implants
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, a subsidiary of American Home Products Corp. and the manufacturer of the Norplant contraceptive, has issued a letter to physicians asking them not to implant kits made after Oct. 7, 1999, while researchers determine the potency of the product after it has been sitting on the shelf, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The letter also suggested that women "for whom avoidance of pregnancy is of great importance" may want to use a "barrier method [contraceptive]," such as a condom (Griffin, 8/17). "We're probably taking a conservative route, but we think it's important to pass this on to health care providers," AHPC spokesperson Doug Petkus said. Although recent AHPC tests found the newer product "didn't differ significantly from the usual stability values and probably didn't change the risk of pregnancy," company tests discovered that the "stability of the product was lower than usual, over time." While the post-Oct. 7 Norplant kits do not expire until 2004, AHPC has also temporarily ceased shipping the device. The letter, which Petkus says was sent to doctors "primarily as a precaution," indicates that AHPC is expecting to complete additional testing on the Norplant device within the next two months and is collaborating with the FDA to review the data. The Norplant kit includes "matchstick- sized" tubes that are implanted into a woman's upper arm to prevent pregnancy ( Bloomberg News/Boston Globe, 8/17).
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