Products
Duogynon was approved in Germany between 1950 and 1981 in the form of dragées and as an intramuscular solution for injection. It was manufactured by Schering AG, which was acquired by Bayer in 2006. Duogynon was later renamed Cumorit. The drug was also approved in other countries, including the United Kingdom, where it was marketed as Primodos.
Structure and properties
The dragées contained the progestin norethisterone acetate and the estrogen ethinyl estradiol. The injectable contained progesterone and estradiol benzoate, also a progestin-estrogen combination.
Indications (obsolete)
Duogynon was used as a hormonal pregnancy test and for the treatment of menstrual disorders (secondary amenorrhea).
Dosage
The dragées were administered perorally and the injection solution intramuscularly. As a pregnancy test, one dragée or ampoule was administered on each of two consecutive days. If no bleeding occurred subsequently, pregnancy was probably present.
Abuse
The drugs were also abused as abortifacients.
Adverse effects
An association has been suspected between the administration of duogynon as a pregnancy test and the development of malformations in children (e.g., Gal et al., 1967). While those affected and their relatives are convinced of this, the connection is disputed in the scientific literature. In its analysis, the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) came to the conclusion that a relationship cannot be confirmed, but also cannot be ruled out with certainty.
