Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) issued US7320969 (which covers a method of contraception in a female in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the female a dosage comprising a combination of estrogen and progestin for a period of 81 to 89 consecutive days, followed by administration of a dosage consisting essentially of estrogen for a period of 2 to 8 consecutive days, wherein the estrogen that is administered in combination with progestin for the period of 81 to 89 consecutive days is administered in a daily amount equivalent to about 10 .mu.g to about 50 .mu.g of ethinyl estradiol, the estrogen that is administered for the period of 2 to 8 consecutive days is administered in a daily amount equivalent to about 5 .mu.g to about 10 .mu.g of ethinyl estradiol, and the progestin that is administered for the period of 81 to 89 consecutive days is administered in a daily amount of about 150 .mu.g of levonorgestrel) for the Company's SEASONIQUE(R) extended- cycle oral contraceptive. The patent will expire on January 30, 2024. The Company also announced that it has submitted the patent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for issuance in the Orange Book.
"We are very pleased that the PTO has issued this important patent to protect our SEASONIQUE extended-cycle oral contraception intellectual property," said Bruce L. Downey, Barr's Chairman and CEO. "We remain committed to developing new products for our portfolio of extended-cycle oral contraceptives and to providing women with options as they consider their contraceptive alternatives."
The Company received FDA approval for SEASONIQUE (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol tablets 0.15 mg/0.03 mg and ethinyl estradiol tablets 0.01 mg) extended-cycle oral contraceptive in May 2006. SEASONIQUE is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy and represents the next generation of extended-cycle oral contraceptives in a category the Company created with the launch of the SEASONALE extended-cycle oral contraceptive in 2003.
"We are very pleased that the PTO has issued this important patent to protect our SEASONIQUE extended-cycle oral contraception intellectual property," said Bruce L. Downey, Barr's Chairman and CEO. "We remain committed to developing new products for our portfolio of extended-cycle oral contraceptives and to providing women with options as they consider their contraceptive alternatives."
The Company received FDA approval for SEASONIQUE (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol tablets 0.15 mg/0.03 mg and ethinyl estradiol tablets 0.01 mg) extended-cycle oral contraceptive in May 2006. SEASONIQUE is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy and represents the next generation of extended-cycle oral contraceptives in a category the Company created with the launch of the SEASONALE extended-cycle oral contraceptive in 2003.
