Clinical medicine profile
Estradiol valerate / Norethindrone
Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class)
- Route
- See product SmPC
- Schedule
- POM
- ATC
- Not assigned
- PPB status
- registered
Safety essentials
The information most likely to change a prescribing or dispensing decision.
WARNING: CIGARETTE SMOKING AND SERIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular events from combination oral contraceptives (COC) use. This risk increases with age, particularly in women over 35 years of age, and with the number of cigarettes smoked. For this reason, COCs should not be used by women who are over 35 years of age and smoke. [See Contraindications ( 4 ).] WARNING: CIGARETTE SMOKING AND SERIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. • Women over 35 years old who smoke should not use Natazia. ( 4 ) • Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular events from combination oral contraceptive (COC) use. ( 4 )
Contraindications
- 4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Natazia is contraindicated in females who are known to have or develop the following conditions: • A high risk of arterial or venous thrombotic diseases.
- Examples include women who are known to: • Smoke, if over age 35 [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Have deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, now or in the past [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Have cerebrovascular disease [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Have coronary artery disease [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Have thrombogenic valvular or thrombogenic rhythm diseases of the heart (for example, subacute bacterial endocarditis with valvular disease, or atrial fibrillation) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Have inherited or acquired hypercoagulopathies [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Have uncontrolled hypertension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] • Have diabetes mellitus with vascular disease [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] • Have headaches with focal neurological symptoms or have migraine headaches with or without aura if over age 35 [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] • Undiagnosed abnormal uterine bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] • Current diagnosis of, or history of, breast cancer, which may be hormone sensitive [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] • Liver tumors, benign or malignant, or liver disease [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ), Use in Specific Populations ( 8.7 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ])]. • A high risk of arterial or venous thrombotic diseases ( 4 ) • Undiagnosed abnormal uterine bleeding ( 4 ) • Breast cancer ( 4 ) • Liver tumors or liver disease ( 4 )
Precautions
- 5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS • Vascular risks : Stop Natazia if a thrombotic event occurs.
- Stop Natazia at least 4 weeks before and through 2 weeks after major surgery.
- Start Natazia no earlier than 4 weeks after delivery, in women who are not breastfeeding.
- ( 5.1 ) • Liver disease : Discontinue Natazia if jaundice occurs.
- ( 5.3 ) • High blood pressure : Do not prescribe Natazia for women with uncontrolled hypertension or hypertension with vascular disease.
- ( 5.4 ) • Carbohydrate and lipid metabolic effects : Monitor prediabetic and diabetic women taking Natazia.
- Consider an alternate contraceptive method for women with uncontrolled dyslipidemia.
- ( 5.6 ) • Headache : Evaluate significant change in headaches and discontinue Natazia if indicated.
- ( 5.7 ) • Uterine bleeding : Evaluate irregular bleeding or amenorrhea.
- ( 5.8 ) • CYP3A4 induction : Women taking strong CYP3A4 inducers (for example, carbamazepine, phenytoin, rifampicin, and St.
- John’s wort) should not choose Natazia as their oral contraceptive due to the possibility of decreased contraceptive efficacy.
- ( 5.13 , 7.1 ) 5.1 Thromboembolic Disorders and Other Vascular Problems Stop Natazia if an arterial or venous thrombotic event (VTE) occurs.
Dosing matrix
Population and organ-function guidance, shown together for faster comparison.
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION • Take one tablet daily by mouth at the same time every day. ( 2.1 ) • Tablets must be taken in the order directed on the blister pack. ( 2.1 ) • Do not skip or delay intake by more than 12 hours. ( 2.1 ) 2.1 How to Take Natazia To achieve maximum contraceptive effectiveness, Natazia must be taken exactly as directed. Take one tablet by mouth at the same time every day. Tablets must be taken in the order directed on the blister pack. Tablets should not be skipped or intake delayed by more than 12 hours. For patient instructions for missed pills, see FDA-Approved Patient Labeling. 2.2 How to Start Natazia Instruct the patient to begin taking Natazia on Day 1 of her menstrual cycle (that is, the first day of her menstrual bleeding). See FDA-Approved Patient Labeling . Instruct the patient to use a non-hormonal contraceptive as back-up during the first 9 days. For postpartum women who do not breastfeed or after a second trimester abortion, start Natazia no earlier than 4 weeks postpartum due to the increased risk of thromboembolism. If the patient starts on Natazia postpartum and has not yet had a period, evaluate for possible pregnancy, and instruct her to use an additional method of contraception until she has taken Natazia for 9 consecutive days. The possibility of ovulation and conception prior to initiation of medication should also be considered. If the patient is switching from a combination hormonal method such as: • Another pill • Vaginal ring • Patch • Instruct her to take the first dark yellow pill on the first day of her withdrawal bleed. She should not continue taking the pills from her previous birth control pack. If she does not have a withdrawal bleed, rule out pregnancy before starting Natazia. • If she previously used a vaginal ring or transdermal patch, she should start using Natazia on the day the ring or patch is removed. • Instruct the patient to use a non-hormonal back-up method such as a condom or spermicide for the first 9 days. If the patient is switching from a progestin-only method such as a: • Progestin-only pill • Implant • Intrauterine system • Injection • Instruct her to take the first dark yellow pill on the day she would have taken her next progestin-only pill or on the day of removal of her implant or intrauterine system or on the day when she would have had her next injection. • Instruct the patient to use a non-hormonal back-up method such as a condom or spermicide for the first 9 days. 2.3 Advice in case of Gastrointestinal Disturbances In case of severe vomiting or diarrhea, absorption may not be complete and additional contraceptive measures should be taken. If vomiting or diarrhea occurs within 3-4 hours after taking a colored tablet, this can be regarded as a missed tablet.
8.4 Pediatric Use Safety and efficacy of Natazia have been established in women of reproductive age. Efficacy is expected to be the same for postpubertal adolescents under the age of 18 and for users 18 years and older. Use of this product before menarche is not indicated.
Review renal impairment dosing; many agents need CrCl/eGFR adjustment.
- CrCl 0–120: Confirm renal dosing in product SmPC / primary label.
Review hepatic impairment dosing; monitor LFTs if agent is hepatically cleared or hepatotoxic.
Use, effects & interactions
Indications
- 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE • Natazia is a combination of dienogest , a progestin, and estradiol valerate, an estrogen, indicated for use by females of reproductive potential to prevent pregnancy.
- ( 1 ) • The efficacy of Natazia in females of reproductive potential with a body mass index (BMI) of >30 kg/m 2 has not been evaluated.
- ( 1 , 8.8 ) • Treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding in females of reproductive potential without organic pathology who choose to use an oral contraceptive as their method of contraception.
- ( 1.2 ) 1.1 Oral Contraception Natazia ® is indicated for use by women to prevent pregnancy.
- The efficacy of Natazia in women with a body mass index (BMI) of > 30 kg/m 2 has not been evaluated. 1.2 Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Natazia is also indicated for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding in women without organic pathology who choose to use an oral contraceptive as their method of contraception [see Clinical Studies ( 14.2 )].
Adverse effects
- 6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious adverse reactions with the use of COCs are discussed elsewhere in the labeling: • Serious cardiovascular events and stroke [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Vascular events [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Liver disease [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Adverse reactions commonly reported by COC users are: • Irregular uterine bleeding • Nausea • Breast tenderness • Headache The most common adverse reactions (≥ 2%) in clinical trials for Natazia are headache (including migraines) 13%, breast pain 7%, menstrual disorders 7%, nausea/vomiting 6%, acne 4%, mood changes (3%) and increased weight 3%.
- ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. at 1-888-842-2937 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
- Contraception and Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Studies A total of 2,131 women, 18 to 54 years of age, who took at least one dose of Natazia were enrolled in four clinical phase 3 trials.
- A total of 1,867 subjects were included in two clinical phase 3 studies with a treatment duration up to 28 cycles with Natazia as an oral contraceptive and 264 subjects in the two phase 3 clinical trials with a treatment duration of 7 cycles evaluating Natazia in the treatment of heavy, prolonged, and/or frequent menstrual bleeding in women without organic pathology [see Clinical Studies ( 14.1 , 14.2 )].
- Adverse Reactions Leading to Study Discontinuation : 11.4% of the women discontinued from the clinical trials due to an adverse reaction
- the most frequent adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were menstrual disorder (metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, menstruation irregular, genital hemorrhage, vaginal hemorrhage, dysfunctional uterine bleeding) (2.3%)
- mood changes (depression, mood swings, mood altered, depressed mood, dysthymic disorder, crying) (1.2%)
- acne (1.1%), headache (including migraines) (1.1%), and weight increased (0.7 %).
- Common Adverse Reactions (≥ 2%): headache (including migraines) (12.7%), breast pain, discomfort or tenderness (7.0%), menstrual disorders (metrorrhagia, menstruation irregular, menorrhagia, vaginal hemorrhage, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, genital hemorrhage, abnormal withdrawal bleeding, uterine hemorrhage) (6.9%), nausea or vomiting (6.0%), acne (3.9%), mood changes (depression, mood swings, depressed mood, mood altered, affect lability, dysthymic disorder, crying) (3.0%) and increased weight (2.9%).
- Serious Adverse Reactions: myocardial infarction (2 cases), ruptured ovarian cyst (2 cases), deep vein thrombosis, focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver, uterine leiomyoma, acute cholecystitis, and chronic acalculous cholecystitis. 6.2 Postmarketing Experience Five studies that compared breast cancer risk between ever-users (current or past use) of COCs and never-users of COCs reported no association between ever use of COCs and breast cancer risk, with effect estimates ranging from 0.90 - 1.12 (Figure 1).
- Three studies compared breast cancer risk between current or recent COC users (<6 months since last use) and never users of COCs (Figure 1).
- One of these studies reported no association between breast cancer risk and COC use.
- The other two studies found an increased relative risk of 1.19–1.33 with current or recent use.
- Both of these studies found an increased risk of breast cancer with current use of longer duration, with relative risks ranging from 1.03 with less than one year of COC use to approximately 1.4 with more than 8–10 years of COC use.
Drug interactions
Open multi-drug checker ↗- Fixed-dose/multi-ingredient product.
- Clinical details partially inherited from component monographs: Estradiol valerate / Norethindrone.
- Confirm combination SmPC for exact dosing.
Mechanism & disposition
12.
Read complete mechanism
12.1 Mechanism of Action COCs lower the risk of becoming pregnant primarily by suppressing ovulation. Mechanism is agent-specific. At receptor, enzyme, ion channel, transporter or microbial target level, the drug alters a physiological or pathological pathway to produce its therapeutic effect. Confirm precise molecular mechanism in current SmPC / pharmacology reference for this INN before high-stakes decisions.
Product-specific
Product-specific
See product SmPC
After oral administration of estradiol valerate, cleavage to 17β-estradiol and valeric acid takes place during absorption by the intestinal mucosa or in the course of the first liver passage. This gives rise to estradiol and its metabolites, estrone and other metabolites. Maximum...
In serum, 38% of estradiol is bound to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), 60% to albumin and 2–3% circulates in free form. An apparent volume of distribution of approximately 1.2 L/kg was determined after intravenous (IV) administration. A relatively high fraction (10%) of circ...
After oral administration of estradiol valerate, approximately 3% of the dose is directly bioavailable as estradiol. Estradiol undergoes an extensive first-pass effect and a considerable part of the dose administered is already metabolized in the gastrointestinal mucosa. The CYP...
Estradiol and its metabolites are mainly excreted in urine, with about 10% being excreted in the feces. The terminal
of estradiol is approximately 14 hours. Dienogest is mainly excreted renally in the form of metabolites and unchanged dienogest is the dominating fraction in plasma. The terminal half-life of dienogest is approximately 11 hours. Use in Specific Populations Pediatric Use: Safety a...
Pregnancy, lactation & diet
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There is no reason to use COCs in pregnancy Discontinue Natazia if pregnancy occurs. Epidemiologic studies and meta-analyses have not found an increased risk of genital or non-genital birth defects (including cardiac anomalies and limb-reduction defects) following exposure to COCs prior to conception or during early pregnancy. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4 percent and 15 to 20 percent, respectively.
• Lactation: can decrease milk production. ( 8.2 ) • Body Mass Index: The safety and efficacy of Natazia in women with a body mass index (BMI) of >30 kg/m 2 has not been evaluated. ( 8.8 ) 8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There is no reason to use COCs in pregnancy Discontinue Natazia if pregnancy occurs. Epidemiologic studies and meta-analyses have not found an increased risk of genital or non-genital birth defects (including cardiac anomalies and limb-reduction defects) following exposure to COCs prior to conception or during early pregnancy. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4 percent and 15 to 20 percent, respectively. 8.2 Lactation Risk Summary Contraceptive hormones and/or metabolites are present in human milk. CHCs can reduce milk production in breastfeeding females. This reduction can occur at any time but is less likely to occur once breastfeeding is well-established. When possible, advise the nursing female to use other forms of contraception until she discontinues breastfeeding. [See also Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 )]. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for Natazia and any potential adverse effects on the breast-fed child from Natazia or from the underlying maternal condition. 8.4 Pediatric Use Safety and efficacy of Natazia have been established in women of reproductive age. Efficacy is expected to be the same for postpubertal adolescents under the age of 18 and for users 18 years and older. Use of this product before menarche is not indicated. 8.5 Geriatric Use Natazia has not been studied in postmenopausal women and is not indicated in this population. 8.6 Patients with Renal Impairment The pharmacokinetics of Natazia has not been studied in subjects with renal impairment, but an effect requiring dose adjustment is unlikely to be present [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . 8.7 Patients with Hepatic Impairment The pharmacokinetics of Natazia has not been studied in subjects with hepatic impairment. Steroid hormones may be poorly metabolized in patients with impaired liver function. Acute or chronic disturbances of liver function may necessitate the discontinuation of COC use until markers of liver function return to normal. [See Contraindications ( 4 ) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )]. 8.8 Body Mass Index The safety and efficacy of Natazia in women with a BMI of > 30 kg/m 2 has not been evaluated.
Brands & loaded prices
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Sources & review state
Decision support only. Confirm patient-specific decisions against the current product SmPC, Kenya STG/EML, and professional judgement.