Pfizer Broadens Access To Injectable Sayana Press Contraceptive

Pfizer announced that it has entered into a public-private collaboration to broaden access to its contraceptive, Sayana Press (Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate)). The drug is intended for women most in need in the world's poorest countries.

Sayana Press combines a long-acting, reversible contraceptive with an all-in-one single use, prefilled, non-reusable Uniject injection system that does not require needle and syringe for administration. Each subcutaneous injection prevents ovulation and provides contraception for at least 13 weeks, give or take a week.

As drug companies are becoming more focused on patient-centricity in the clinical space and in the realms of drug development, it shouldn't be a surprise that Pfizer has also made the same move in an attempt to make drug administration easier for those living in less developed countries. The drug's older version, Depo-Provera, typically required a healthcare professional to draw the drug into a syringe from a glass vial before administering it to a patient. In contrast, Sayana Press is reformulated into a lower dose and uses the existing Uniject system that requires squeezing an attached bubble for administration. Using Sayana Press requires minimal training, and the drug is portable and easy to use. The product is already deployed in several African countries, however Pfizer said it will work with its partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), to make Sayana Press cheaper and more available.

Sayana Press was introduced earlier in Burkina Faso last July — the first of several launches in three other African countries. Chris Elias, president for global development at the Gates Foundation, said that Sayana Press is an important new option for approximately 225 million women around the world who are seeking access to contraception but are unable to do so. "When women are able to plan their families, they are more likely to survive pregnancy and child birth, to have healthier newborns and children, and to invest more in their families' health and wellbeing. We are proud to be part of this innovative public-private collaboration that will help more women around the world — even in remote areas — plan their lives and their futures."

"Sayana Press is now an option for women who have been at the margins of family planning access for way too long. I am hopeful that this new agreement increases sustained availability of Sayana Press for any woman who chooses to use it," said Dr. Cathy Ndiaye, Senegal Project Manager, Sayana Press Introduction, PATH.