Public sector contraceptive development history, problems, and prospects for the future

Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry has progressively discounted the development of new contraceptives. The factors that led to this withdrawal now threaten the introduction of new contraceptives. Public sector research organizations have attempted to fill the gap left by industry. In spite of the organizational difficulties imposed on these research groups, a few of them have been successful in developing new products that include: copper IUDs, levonorgestrel-releasing IUDs, subdermal implants, vaginal rings, new methods of sterilization, and new barrier methods. At present, public sector programs are facing increasing difficulty in funding and staffing their development activities. This is due, in part, to the need for increased funds and manpower to complete successful projects, increasing numbers of organizations competing for a relatively limited pool of resources, increased requirements of regulatory agencies, difficulty in obtaining product liability insurance, and overt public and political opposition to the development of family planning methods. If these issues are resolved, organizational changes in the field will need to be examined if products are to be completed and marketed.