July 10 (Reuters) – A European Medicines Agency safety committee said on Friday that commonly used contraceptives containing desogestrel and etonogestrel carry a small increased risk of meningioma after prolonged use.
Meningiomas are usually non-cancerous tumors that develop in the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Here are some details:
• The committee recommended that women with a current or previous history of meningioma should not use the hormonal contraceptives, which contain the commonly used synthetic progestins desogestrel or etonogestrel.
• Contraceptives containing desogestrel are sold as oral tablets and etonogestrel as implants and vaginal rings.
• The tumor risk increases with longer use and may be higher in women who previously took other meningioma-linked progestogens including cyproterone, nomegestrol, medroxyprogesterone and chlormadinone, EMA said.
• However, the overall likelihood of developing meningioma remains very low, with about one additional case estimated for every 67,300 women using the medicines.
• The committee said product labels will now list meningioma as a side effect with unknown frequency and include new warnings and contraindications.
• The recommendations, based on a large French epidemiological study, also require healthcare providers to monitor patients taking the medicines for symptoms including vision changes, hearing loss, worsening headaches and seizures.
(Reporting by Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)
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