The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an over the counter "emergency contraceptive" pill manufactured in partnership with Teva by Hungarian firm Gedeon Richter, Ltd.
Plan B One-Step will be available over the counter for consumers aged 17 or older, and will be sold to women younger than age 17, but they will need a prescription to purchase the pill.
Teva said that if taken correctly, about seven out of eight women who would have gotten pregnant will not become pregnant after taking Plan B One Step.
Teva Women’s Health senior vice president Amy Niemann said, “Emergency contraception is more effective the sooner it’s taken, and with Plan B One-Step women can now act quickly and take it right away.” It should within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure
Plan B One-Step will not work if a woman is already pregnant and it will not terminate an existing pregnancy.
Teva closed on Friday at $48.59, giving a market cap of $41.45 billion.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 13, 2009
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