USFDA mulls to approve first-ever OTC birth control pill

"More than 60 years ago, prescription birth control pills in the US empowered women to plan if and when they want to get pregnant. Moving a safe and effective prescription birth control pill to OTC will help even more women and people access contraception without facing unnecessary barriers," Welgryn added.

Cadence, whose pill is a combination of progestin and oestrogen plans to submit an application in the coming year, The New York Times reported.

While both companies have been in discussions with the FDA for years, the timing of the HRA Pharma application is "a really sad coincidence," Welgryntold The Times. "Birth control is not a solution for abortion access," she stressed.

The FDA is expected to take around 10 months to make a decision on HRA Pharma's application, media reports said.

Meanwhile, major medical organisations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians, have expressed support for moving birth control pills OTC.

Earlier this year, the US House of Democrats also signed a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf requesting a "timely review" of applications to make birth control pills available OTC, and more than 100 Democrats have signed on to a bill to make health insurance companies cover the cost of OTC birth control, The Times reported.

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