Estrogen (medication)
Estradiol, estrone, and estriol have all been approved as pharmaceutical drugs and are used medically. Estetrol is currently under development for medical indications, but has not yet been approved in any country. A variety of synthetic estrogen esters, such as estradiol valerate, estradiol cypionate, estradiol acetate, estradiol benzoate, estradiol undecylate, and polyestradiol phosphate, are used clinically. The aforementioned compounds behave as prodrugs to estradiol, and are much longer-lasting in comparison when administered by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. Esters of estrone and estriol also exist and are or have been used in clinical medicine, for example estrone sulfate (e.g., as estropipate), estriol succinate, and estriol glucuronide (as Emmenin and Progynon).
Ethinylestradiol
EE has been marketed as a standalone oral drug under the brand names "Esteed", "Estinyl", "Feminone", "Lynoral", "Menolyn", "Novestrol", "Palonyl", "Spanestrin", and "Ylestrol" among others, although most or all of these formulations are now discontinued. It is marketed under a very large number of brand names throughout the world in combination with progestins for use as an oral contraceptive. In addition, EE is marketed in the in combination with norelgestromin under the brand names "Ortho Evra" and "Xulane" as a contraceptive patch, in combination with etonogestrel under the brand name "NuvaRing" as a contraceptive vaginal ring, and in combination with norethisterone acetate under the brand name "FemHRT" in oral hormone replacement therapy for the treatment of menopausal symptoms.