A drug company has asked the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to sell a birth control medicine “over the counter.” That means it can be bought without providing a doctor’s order, or prescription. HRA Pharma, a French company, sent the FDA a written request Monday. HRA’s hormone-based drug comes in pill form and prevents pregnancy. Such contraceptive medicine was introduced in the 1960’s and has become the most common form of birth control for women in the U.S. But, it has always required a prescription for purchase. The pill can lead to blood clots in some users, although this is rare. HRA’s request to the FDA argues that users can measure the risks on their own and use the pill successfully. “For a product that has been available for the last 50 years, that has been used safely by millions of women, we thought it was time to make it more available,” said Frederique Welgryn, HRA’s chief strategy officer. The HRA medicine is called Opill and is not sold in the U.S. The FDA could approve it for sale by next year. Many women’s health and reproductive rights supporters want other prescription contraceptives and abortion pills to make the move to over-the-counter. The FDA action could guide many other decisions about women’s health care in the years to come. Reproductive freedom is a major issue in the country. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to seek medical abortions.
Title: Drug Company Seeks to Sell Birth Control in Stores
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/A19.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Drug Company Seeks to Sell Birth Control in Stores' data-article-id='6176'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='14938'>A drug company has asked the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to sell a birth control medicine “over the counter.” </span> <span data-start-time='14938' data-end-time='23229'>That means it can be bought without providing a doctor’s order, or prescription.</span> <span data-start-time='23229' data-end-time='31500'>HRA Pharma, a French company, sent the FDA a written request Monday.</span> <span data-start-time='31500' data-end-time='39083'>HRA’s hormone-based drug comes in pill form and prevents pregnancy. </span> <span data-start-time='39083' data-end-time='51021'>Such contraceptive medicine was introduced in the 1960’s and has become the most common form of birth control for women in the U.S. </span> <span data-start-time='51021' data-end-time='56792'>But, it has always required a prescription for purchase. </span> <span data-start-time='56792' data-end-time='64229'>The pill can lead to blood clots in some users, although this is rare.</span> <span data-start-time='64229' data-end-time='75604'>HRA’s request to the FDA argues that users can measure the risks on their own and use the pill successfully.</span> <span data-start-time='75604' data-end-time='94333'>“For a product that has been available for the last 50 years, that has been used safely by millions of women, we thought it was time to make it more available,” said Frederique Welgryn, HRA’s chief strategy officer.</span> <span data-start-time='94333' data-end-time='100688'>The HRA medicine is called Opill and is not sold in the U.S. </span> <span data-start-time='100688' data-end-time='105063'>The FDA could approve it for sale by next year. </span> <span data-start-time='105063' data-end-time='117958'>Many women’s health and reproductive rights supporters want other prescription contraceptives and abortion pills to make the move to over-the-counter.</span> <span data-start-time='117958' data-end-time='125604'>The FDA action could guide many other decisions about women’s health care in the years to come. </span> <span data-start-time='125604' data-end-time='130208'>Reproductive freedom is a major issue in the country. </span> <span data-start-time='130208' data-end-time='143500'>Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to seek medical abortions.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/A19.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18764 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/a_drug_company_has_asked_the_united_states_food_and_drug_administration_fda_for_permission_to_sell_a_birth_control_medicine_over_the__blank__.wav'>A drug company has asked the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to sell a birth control medicine over the <span class='blank'>counter</span>. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='counter'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/counter.wav'><span>counter</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/downer.wav'><span>downer</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/sounder.wav'><span>sounder</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/cloud.wav'><span>cloud</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18765 data-hint-location='75604' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_strategy.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word strategy?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/a_plan_of_action_or_policy_designed_to_achieve_a_major_or_overall_aim.wav'><span>a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/tasting_of_containing_or_preserved_with_salt.wav'><span>tasting of, containing, or preserved with salt</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/casual_yet_attractively_stylish.wav'><span>casual yet attractively stylish</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/the_study_of_living_organisms.wav'><span>the study of living organisms</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18766 data-hint-location='39083' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/when_was_the_contraceptive_pill_introduced.wav'>When was the contraceptive pill introduced?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='1960s'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/1960s.wav'><span>1960s</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/1970s.wav'><span>1970s</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/1940s.wav'><span>1940s</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5577/1950s.wav'><span>1950s</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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