Yaz, a New Low-Dose Pill Approved

Good news:

FRANKFURT (Reuters) Mar 17 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Schering's new low-dose oral contraceptive YAZ, the German drugmaker said on Friday.

Schering said YAZ, a low-dose version of its fast-growing contraceptive Yasmin...is the first pill to combine 20 mcg of ethinyl estradiol with the innovative progestin drospirenone [3 mg], in a dosing regimen of 24 days of active hormone pills and four days of placebo pills.

Note the triple innovation--low estrogen dose + the newish progestin drospirenone + a shortened placebo interval. [The combination of drospirenone and a shortened pill-free interval is believed to be responsible for the significant reduction of the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a more severe form of PMS.]