Gynaecology Products

Infertility affects 60 to 80 million couples worldwide, that is 10 to 25 per cent of all couples, bringing with it devastating personal consequences. Learning how to cope with infertility and understanding the treatment options available is something that Ferring believes is important to infertile couples.

Options for treating infertility have expanded during the 40 years that Ferring has been active with infertility research designed to help infertile couples achieve their dream of having a baby.

But not all-available products are the same. Current gonadotropin products from pharmaceutical companies comprise human-derived (traditional) gonadotropins, consisting of purified extracts from post-menopausal urine, and products made from recombinant DNA techniques.

Ferring’s infertility portfolio consists of traditional highly purified and standardised urinary-derived products with a long track record for their good safety profile and effectiveness.

MENOPUR / MENOGON / REPRONEX and BRAVELLE are Ferring’s leading menotropin preparations, which offer high quality and cost-effective treatment for infertile couples.
MENOPUR is a highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin. The development of MENOPUR was based on the recognition that natural reproduction depends on the coordinated action of FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) and LH (Luteinising Hormone). MENOPUR contains a 1:1 balance of FSH and LH.

BRAVELLE is the first human-derived purified FSH product with a therapeutic efficacy and tolerability profile similar to rFSH (recombinant FSH). BRAVELLE is indicated for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation to induce the development of multiple follicles for assisted reproduction.

To read more about MENOPUR, MENOGEN/REPRONEX and BRAVELLE please visit our US website : http://www.ferringfertility.com

The treatments, used regularly in women in preparation for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), are administered by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection and stimulate the ovaries to grow a large number of follicles.

MENOPUR / MENOGON / REPRONEX are also used to treat infertility in men with hypo- or normogonadotropic hypogonadism, and used in combination with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to stimulate spermatogenesis. The treatments contain the follicle stimulating hormone activity, FSH, and luteinising hormone activity LH. The LH activity of menotropin is believed to be beneficial to a successful pregnancy.

Recent clinical experience
Clinical studies and years of use have long shown that Ferring’s hormonal therapies are effective and offer a good safety profile. When selecting infertility treatment, the best approach is to choose a treatment that has clinically based proof of not only effectiveness and safety, but more importantly, of a high success rate in producing healthy pregnancies.

CHORAGON (human chorionic gonadotropin, HCG) is a glycopeptide hormone administered by intramuscular injection and used to control the timing of ovulation.

HCG mimics the action of LH and is the drug of choice to trigger ovulation following follicular stimulation and development. It is also used in combination with MENOPUR / MENOGON to stimulate spermatogenesis in male infertility due to hypogonadism.

In women, DECAPEPTYL (GnRH agonist, triptorelin) is used in the treatment of infertility, primarily for pituitary down-regulation of FSH and LH in assisted reproduction. This is done in order to enhance the control of the female cycle preventing a premature LH peak.

It is also prescribed by gynaecologists for women experiencing endometriosis and myoma, conditions requiring suppression of oestrogen. The treatment is available as a monthly depot injection or as daily subcutaneous injections for women.

In men, DECAPEPTYL (triptorelin) suppresses the action of testosterone and oestrogen making it a standard therapy for diseases that depend on hormones, such as prostate cancer where it slows the development of the cancer.

LUTRELEF and the ZYKLOMAT Pulse Pump (active ingredient gonadorelin a gonadotropin - releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue) are used in replacement therapy of endogenous GnRH-deficiency, for the treatment of infertility in women and men.

The secretion of FSH and LH from the pituitary relies on GnRH from the hypothalamus. LUTRELEF and the ZYKLOMAT Pulse Pump deliver individually tailored pulsatile dosing of GnRH, which mimics the natural function of the hypothalamus-produced hormone.

This can induce sexual development, follicle maturation and ovulation in those females where the normal secretion of GnRH (and therefore of FSH and LH) is affected. LUTRELEF can also be used in men to induce sperm production.

Hyperprolactinaemia
Hyperprolactinaemia (hyperprolactinemia) is a condition where excess levels of the hormone prolactin are found in the blood. This can cause symptoms including irregular or absent menstrual cycles, infertility and increased production of breast milk. It is a relatively common endocrine disorder, affecting up to 10% of the population, mostly women.

Symptoms of hyperprolactinaemia include:

Reduced function of the reproductive organs (ovaries and testes), known as hypogonadism, which women will experience as reduced menstruation (infrequent periods) or a complete absence of normal menstruation (no periods)
Infertility (in women and men)
Reduced interest in sex (decreased libido)
Bone loss (osteoporosis), which may lead to bone fractures
Increased production of breast milk (known as galactorrhoea), which may also occur in men on rare occasions
Male impotence

NORPROLAC (quinagolide hydrochloride) is a selective, D2 dopamine agonist that is used for the treatment of elevated levels of prolactin. The secretion of prolactin is reduced by the neurotransmitter dopamine which acts on prolactin-secreting cells in the pituitary gland. NORPROLAC mimics the action of dopamine in the pituitary to reduce prolactin levels. NORPROLAC is provided in tablet form for oral administration.

In clinical trials in pre-menopausal women, NORPROLAC has been shown to effectively normalise prolactin levels, reduce the size of prolactin-secreting pituitary growths and restore fertility and regular menstrual cycles.

NORPROLAC can be used up until the point of confirmed pregnancy, making it the first-line dopamine agonist of choice when treating infertility.