WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a controversial new form of emergency contraception that can prevent a pregnancy for as many as five days after sex.
The decision to allow the sale of the pill, which will be marketed under the brand name Ella, was welcomed by family-planning proponents as a crucial new option to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Critics, however, condemned the decision, arguing that it was misleading to approve Ella as a contraceptive because the drug could also be used to cause abortions.
Ella can reduce the chances of becoming pregnant after unprotected sex by about two-thirds for at least 120 hours, studies have shown.
The only other emergency contraceptive on the market, the so-called morning-after pill sold as Plan B, becomes significantly less effective but retains some effectiveness after 72 hours.
Political shift seen
Supporters and opponents both said the decision marked the clearest evidence of a shift in the influence of political ideology at the FDA.
The last time the FDA considered an emergency contraceptive — making Plan B available without a prescription — the decision became mired in controversy because of similar concerns by anti-abortion activists.
Plan B was eventually approved for sale to women 18 and older without a prescription, but only after repeated delays.
Ella, which was approved in Europe last year and is available in at least 22 countries, was unanimously endorsed by an FDA advisory committee less than a month ago. Women will need a prescription for Ella but could keep a supply at home.
“Women’s health advocates appreciate that the review process for Ella was consistent with standard FDA procedure and based on scientific evidence, not politics,” said Kirsten Moore, president of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project. “Approval of Ella is further evidence that the FDA is committed to restoring scientific integrity in its decisions.”
Some say it’s abortion
For their part, critics said the decision reflected the abortion-rights stance of the Obama administration.
“They are choosing political ideology and the abortion industry’s radical agenda over women’s health and the safety of their children,” said David Bereit, director of 40 Days for Life, an anti-abortion group based in Fredericksburg, Va.
Plan B prevents a pregnancy by administering high doses of a hormone that mimics progesterone. It works primarily by inhibiting the ovaries from producing eggs. Critics argue it can also prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb, which some consider equivalent to abortion.
Ella, known generically as ulipristal acetate, works as a contraceptive by blocking progesterone’s activity, delaying the ovaries from producing an egg. But progesterone is also needed to prepare the womb to accept a fertilized egg and to nurture a developing embryo.
That is how the abortion pill RU-486 prevents a fertilized egg from implanting and dislodges growing embryos. Ella’s chemical similarity to RU-486 raises the possibility it might do the same thing.
This article has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, The Washington Post incorrectly reported how long emergency contraceptive, Plan B, will work. Plan B becomes significantly less effective but retains some effectiveness beyond 72 hours.
