Also in 1957, the FPA established a Council for the Investigation of Fertility Control (CIFC) to test and monitor oral contraceptives which began animal testing of oral contraceptives and in 1960 and 1961 began three large clinical trials in Birmingham, Slough, and London.In March 1960, the Birmingham FPA began trials of noretynodrel 2.5 mg + mestranol 50 µg, but a high pregnancy rate initially occurred when the pills accidentally contained only 36 µg of mestranol—the trials were continued with noretynodrel 5 mg + mestranol 75 µg (Conovid in the UK, Enovid 5 mg in the U.S.). In August 1960, the Slough FPA began trials of noretynodrel 2.5 mg + mestranol 100 µg (Conovid-E in the UK, Enovid-E in the U.S.). In May 1961, the London FPA began trials of Scherings Anovlar.In October 1961, at the recommendation of the Medical Advisory Council of its CIFC, the FPA added Searles Conovid to its Approved List of Contraceptives. On December 4, 1961, Enoch Powell, then Minister of Health, announced that the oral contraceptive pill Conovid could be prescribed through the NHS at a subsidized price of 2s per month. In 1962, Scherings Anovlar and Searles Conovid-E were added to the FPAs Approved List of Contraceptives. France
On December 28, 1967, the Neuwirth Law legalized contraception in France, including the pill. The pill is the most popular form of contraception in France, especially among young women. It accounts for 60% of the birth control used in France. The abortion rate has remained stable since the introduction of the pill.
Allopregnanolone is a naturally occurring neurosteroid which is made in the body from the hormone progesterone. As a medication, allopregnanolone is referred to as brexanolone, sold under the brand name Zulresso, and used to treat postpartum depression. It is used by injection into a vein over a 60-hour period under medical supervision.Side effects of brexanolone may include sedation, sleepiness, dry mouth, hot flashes, and loss of consciousness. It is a neurosteroid and acts as a positive allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor, the major biological target of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA).Brexanolone was approved for medical use in the United States in 2019. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers it to be a first-in-class medication. The long administration time, as well as the cost for a one-time treatment, have raised concerns about accessibility for many women. Medical uses
Brexanolone is used to treat postpartum depression in adult women. Side effects
Side effects of brexanolone include sedation (13–21%), dry mouth (3–11%), loss of consciousness (3–5%), and flushing (2–5%). It can also produce euphoria to a degree similar to that of alprazolam (3–13% at infusion doses of 90–270 μg over a one-hour period). Biological function
Allopregnanolone possesses a wide variety of effects, including, in no particular order, antidepressant, anxiolytic, stress-reducing, rewarding, prosocial, antiaggressive, prosexual, sedative, pro-sleep, cognitive, memory-impairment, analgesic, anesthetic, anticonvulsant, neuroprotective, and neurogenic effects.