Transdermal Delivery

摘要

Dosing regimen for transdermal delivery of hormones comprising a monthly treatment cycle with a fixed treatment interval and a variable rest interval.

主权项

1. A method of preventing pregnancy in a woman that comprises, during a treatment cycle based on a calendar month:
(A) transdermally administering a contraceptively effective amount of a progestin and an estrogen during a three-week treatment interval by successive applications of transdermal hormone delivery devices; and (B) transdermally administering low dose progestin and low dose estrogen throughout a rest interval that is the balance of the calendar month by application of a transermal hormone delivery device, wherein, in a given woman or population of women: the amount of progestin delivered during the treatment interval results in an average progestin serum concentration level equivalent to at least 500 pg/ml of levonorgestrel during the first week of the treatment interval and an average progestin serum concentration level equivalent to at least 750 pg/ml of levonorgestrel during the second and third weeks of the treatment interval; the amount of estrogen delivered during the treatment interval results in an average estrogen serum concentration level equivalent to at least 15 pg/ml of ethinyl estradiol during the treatment interval; the amount of the progestin delivered during the rest interval results in an average progestin serum concentration that is 25% to 75% the amount of the progestin delivered during the treatment interval; and the amount of the estrogen delivered during the rest interval results in an average estrogen serum concentration that is 25% to 75% the amount of the estrogen delivered during the treatment interval.