New Oral Contraceptive Pill Alleviates Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Combination oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are often prescribed to control abnormal menstrual bleeding despite little objective evidence of efficacy. In an industry-funded, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study conducted in the U.S. and Canada, investigators compared the effectiveness of a new oral contraceptive that contains estradiol valerate (step-up regimen) and the progestin dienogest (step-down regimen) to placebo during seven 28-day cycles in women (age, ≥18) with heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding and no organic pathology. Objectively confirmed bleeding during a 90-day run-in phase was compared with bleeding during the last 90 days of treatment. The primary outcome was the proportion of women with complete responses, stric…