(The ring uses a related compound.) These pills (brands such as
Desogen, Mircette, and Cyclessa) were developed in the 1980s to lessen the pill's minor side effects, like acne and facial hair.
It obtained the drug, which is AB-rated to
Desogen (desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol), through a generic supply agreement with Organon Ireland Ltd.
The third-generation progestins--norgestimate (OrthoCyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen) and desogestrel (
Desogen, OrthoCept, Mircette)--are less likely to cross-react with androgen receptors.
The product is a generic oral contraceptive to the AB-rated brands
Desogen and Ortho-Cept (Organon USA Inc.
Johnson Pharmaceutical's Ortho-Cept and Organon Pharmaceutical's
Desogen. Annual combined brand revenue for the two was about $155 million last year.
The FDA has determined it to be a substitutable equivalent oral contraceptive for Ortho-Cept and
Desogen tablets, which are marketed by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical and Organon Inc., respectively.