Companies Provide Numerous Hormone Therapy Options for Women

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor.com



In the Tuesday edition of the Wall Street Journal, Tara Parker-Pope wrote a great article detailing how the hormone patch is superior to the pill. She also listed the varying options women have for hormone replacement therapy with the associated risks and rewards.

Here is the information summarized, with the addition of the pharmaceutical and biotech companies involved:


PILLS
Pros: convenient, lower cholesterol and bloog sugar
Cons: higher risk of blood clots

Permarin
Wyeth (WYE)

Estrace
Warner Chilcott (WCRX)

PATCHES
Pros: may lower clot risk, less side effects
Cons: skin irritation, less likely to lower cholesterol

Climara
Berlex, U.S. affiliate of Bayer (BAY)

Vivelle
Novogyne Pharmaceuticals, joint venture between Novartis (NVS) and Noven (NOVN)

CREAMS/GELS
Pros: may lower clot risk, easy application, less skin irritation
Cons: messy

Estrogel
Solvay Pharmaceuticals, U.S. division of Solvay S.A. (SOL.DE) of Belgium

Estrasorb
Espirit Pharma

VAGINAL RING
Pros: may lower clot risk
Cons: can be uncomfortable

Femring
Warner Chilcott (WCRX)

RELATED READING:
- Public Awareness Needed Before Mandate to Vaccinate Girls with Merck's Gardasil
- Expert Panel Urges Change to Birth Control Pill Studies
____________________