Study Comparing Emergency Contraception Effectiveness in Women Who Weight ≥ 80 kg

Last updated: November 17, 2025
Sponsor: Kimberly Myer
Overall Status: Terminated

Phase

4

Condition

Contraception

Treatment

Levonorgestrel

Ulipristal Acetate

Clinical Study ID

NCT03537768
CCN013C
  • Ages 18-40
  • Female
  • Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Summary

The proposed research study is a Phase IIb, multi-center, single-blind, randomized study of UPA 30 mg, LNG 1.5 mg and LNG 3.0 mg to evaluate EC effectiveness in women with weight ≥ 80 kg who present within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Be in good general overall health with no chronic medical conditions that result inperiodic exacerbations that require significant medical care.

  2. Between 18 and 40 years inclusive at the enrollment visit.

  3. Weight ≥ 80 kg.

  4. Have regular menstrual cycles that typically occur every 21-35 days when not usinghormonal contraception.

  5. If subject is postpartum or post-abortal, she must have experienced a menstrualbleed since the pregnancy ended

  6. If a subject recently used non-injectable hormonal contraception, one bleedingepisode consistent with menses must have occurred since last use;

  7. Willing to avoid use of any hormonal or intrauterine contraception until the end ofthe study;

  8. For women with a recent history of Depo Provera use, the most recent injection musthave been at least 6 months before study entry, and the subject must have had atleast one normal menstrual cycle (2 consecutive menses);

  9. Request emergency contraception within 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected coitus,as defined by lack of contraceptive use, condom breakage (including condomslubricated with spermicide), or other barrier contraceptive method failure;

  10. Have a negative urine pregnancy test at time of screening

  11. Reports all acts of unprotected coitus since her prior menses are within 72 hoursprior to enrollment;

  12. Willing to abstain from further acts of unprotected intercourse until the end of thestudy;

  13. Give voluntary, written informed consent, and agree to observe all studyrequirements including being available for follow up for at least the next 4 weeks;

  14. Accepts that the risk of pregnancy with oral EC is greater than that followingplacement of a copper IUD for EC.

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Be currently pregnant (positive high-sensitivity urine pregnancy test);

  2. Be currently breastfeeding or within 30 days of discontinuing breastfeeding, unlessthe subject has already had a menses following discontinuation of breastfeeding;

  3. Desire to use hormonal systemic contraception within 5 days of study drug use

  4. Have had a female sterilization procedure;

  5. Have a partner with a history of vasectomy;

  6. Current inability to tolerate oral medication;

  7. Have impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal reserve or oral glucocorticoidreplacement therapy in the last year.

  8. Have known liver disease;

  9. Have known liver abnormalities with elevated enzymes at least twice the upper limitof normal requiring use of liver enzyme inducers.

  10. Have known hypersensitivity to the active substance UPA or LNG, or any of theexcipients of the study treatment.

  11. Have a current need for exogenous hormones.

  12. Have concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (as identified by the FDA) orinducers at the time of or planned use within 3 days of dosing;

  13. Use any medications that can interfere with the metabolism of hormonalcontraceptives; take antibiotics that can interfere with metabolism of hormonalcontraceptives at the time of or planned use within 3 days of dosing of the studydrug; or use any drugs designated by the FDA as falling in the Pregnancy andLactation narrative subsections (formerly Category D or X medications).

  14. Current or recent (within one month) participation in any other trial of aninvestigational medicine or device or planning to participate in another clinicaltrial during this study.

  15. Have a history of a bariatric surgery procedure associated with malabsorption.

  16. Live outside of the catchment area of the study site.

  17. Have used UPA or LNG EC within 30 days prior to enrollment and not had a mensessince using the drug.

  18. Be a site staff member with delegated study responsibilities or a family member of asite staff member with delegated study responsibilities. -

Study Design

Total Participants: 532
Treatment Group(s): 2
Primary Treatment: Levonorgestrel
Phase: 4
Study Start date:
July 12, 2018
Estimated Completion Date:
April 20, 2022

Study Description

Orally-dosed emergency contraception (EC) is highly effective when used properly. EC is up to 90% effective at preventing pregnancy following unprotected intercourse. Both ulipristal acetate (UPA) and levonorgestrel (LNG) delay or inhibit ovulation when used for EC. For individual women, use of EC provides a critical backup to prevent unintended pregnancy.

However, obesity may severely impair EC effectiveness. Data from two large randomized control trials to identify risk factors for EC failure. A woman of obese body mass index (BMI) (≥30mg/kg2) using LNG-based EC had more than a 4 times greater risk of pregnancy compared to her normal BMI counterpart and a woman of overweight BMI (25-29.9) was at twice the risk of pregnancy. Failure was also associated with a high body weight. LNG-based EC appears to have a ceiling of efficacy at 70 kg and no efficacy for women 80 kg and above. It is believed that by doubling the dose to LNG 3.0 mg, serum levels of LNG are corrected to a therapeutic range.

Connect with a study center

  • Essential Access Health

    Los Angeles, California 30010
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of California, Davis

    Sacramento, California 95817
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of California, San Francisco

    San Francisco, California 94110
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Essential Access Health

    Los Angeles 5368361, California 5332921 30010
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of California, Davis

    Sacramento 5389489, California 5332921 95817
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of California, San Francisco

    San Francisco 5391959, California 5332921 94110
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Colorado

    Denver, Colorado 80045
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Colorado

    Denver 5419384, Colorado 5417618 80045
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Hawaii

    Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Hawaii

    Honolulu 5856195, Hawaii 5855797 96826
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Chicago

    Chicago, Illinois 60637
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Chicago

    Chicago 4887398, Illinois 4896861 60637
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

    Baltimore, Maryland 21224
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

    Baltimore 4347778, Maryland 4361885 21224
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts

    Boston, Massachusetts 02215
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts

    Boston 4930956, Massachusetts 6254926 02215
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Bellevue Hospital Center

    New York, New York 10016
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Columbia University

    New York, New York 10032
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Bellevue Hospital Center

    New York 5128581, New York 5128638 10016
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Columbia University

    New York 5128581, New York 5128638 10032
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Cincinnati-Holmes Hospital

    Cincinnati, Ohio 45267
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University Hospitals of Cleveland MacDonald Women's Hospital

    Cleveland, Ohio 44106
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Cincinnati-Holmes Hospital

    Cincinnati 4508722, Ohio 5165418 45267
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University Hospitals of Cleveland MacDonald Women's Hospital

    Cleveland 5150529, Ohio 5165418 44106
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Oregon Health Science University

    Portland, Oregon 97239
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Oregon Health Science University

    Portland 5746545, Oregon 5744337 97239
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Pittsburgh/Magee Women's Hospital

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia 4560349, Pennsylvania 6254927 19104
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Pittsburgh/Magee Women's Hospital

    Pittsburgh 5206379, Pennsylvania 6254927 15213
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

    Providence, Rhode Island 02905
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

    Providence 5224151, Rhode Island 5224323 02905
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Utah

    Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Utah

    Salt Lake City 5780993, Utah 5549030 84106
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Eastern Virginia Medical School

    Norfolk, Virginia 23507
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Eastern Virginia Medical School

    Norfolk 4776222, Virginia 6254928 23507
    United States

    Site Not Available

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