OVULATION INHIBITION BY A NEW LOW-DOSE PROGESTAGEN

Abstract A new synthetic progestagen, Org 2969 (13-ethyl-11-methylene-18,19 -dinor-17α-pregn-4-en-20-yn-17-ol) was administered to nine healthy normally menstruating women. Three subjects ingested 0.030 mg, while six others ingested 0.015 mg of the compound daily on days 1–20 of one menstrual cycle. Serum follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone and estradiol analyzed on the days 8–23 showed that all the treatment cycles were anovulatory in the group ingesting 0.030 mg of Org 2969. Two out of the six volunteers using the 0.015 mg daily dose had ovulatory treatment cycles. Serum activities of aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase and bilirubin concentration determined on days 8, 15 and 23 did not reveal any change in liver function. Serum cortisol measured on days 8 and 23 remained unchanged.