Watson's Ella enters market

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals has made an emergency oral contraceptive available by prescription in the United States, the company said Wednesday.

Watson announced the launch of Ella (ulipristal acetate) in the 30-mg dose, designed to prevent pregnancy up to five days after unprotected sex or failure of other contraceptives. The drug is designed to delay ovulation for five days, the amount of time that sperm can survive in the female genital tract.

“Ella is the first truly new emergency contraceptive option for U.S. women since 1999,” Watson Global Brands EVP Fred Wilkinson said. “It has a unique, sustained efficacy profile and offers women an additional therapeutic option for preventing unintended pregnancy.”