Studies implicate only gestodene and desogestrel

BMJ 1995;311:1639 (16 December)

Letters

Studies implicate only gestodene and desogestrel

EDITOR,--The Committee on Safety of Medicines' advice to theprofession on combined oral contraceptives led to two editorials¹² and three other items.³ ⁴ ⁵ All the authors, apart from NaomiCraft,⁵ incorrectly reported the committee's warning as extendingto all "third generation" or "newer" combined oral contraceptives,whereas these two terms do not appear in the committee's letter.The committee's warning related only to desogestrel and gestodene.In addition, the committee recommended that "No change in prescribingpractice is required for any other combined oral contraceptive."

Janssen-Cilag markets Cilest, a combined oral contraceptivethat contains the third generation progestogen norgestimate.I hope that my letter corrects any confusion that readers mayhave about Cilest's position.

Medical director Janssen-Cilag, Saunderton, High Wycombe, BuckinghamshireHP14 4HJ

R J Donnelly

Guillebaud J. Advising women on which pill to take. BMJ 1995;311:1111-2. (28 October.) [Free Full Text]
McRae K, Kay C. Third generation oral contraceptive pills. BMJ 1995;311:1112. (28 October.) [Free Full Text]
Carnall . . . [Full text of this article]