Etonogestrel 68mg implant
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Etonogestrel
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Etonogestrel
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8 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Etonogestrel on the MHRA register
Nexplanon 68mg implant
Nexplanon 68mg implant
This is the NHS Drug Tariff indicative price used for reimbursement purposes. It may not reflect the price paid by patients or pharmacies.
View full Drug TariffSource: NHS Drug Tariff via NHSBSA. Derived from dm+d VMPP (Virtual Medicinal Product Pack) pricing data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
68 microgram
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via the NHS dm+d supplementary BNF/ATC mapping files (NHSBSA). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
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Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
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SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 14 · Randomised trials: 12 · 2000–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Kusum V. Moray, Himanshu Chaurasia, Oshima Sachin, et al.
Reproductive Health, 2021
- Contraceptive Agents, Hormonal
- Contraception Behavior
- Contraceptive Agents, Female
Zhang B, Shi J, Gu Z, et al.
2025
- Levonorgestrel
- Intrauterine Devices, Medicated
- Adenomyosis
ObjectiveTo summarize evidence on the efficacy and safety of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in managing adenomyosis (AM), both as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies.MethodsWe searched Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System On-Line: Medline, The Cochrane Library, Embase, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang from the inception to Aug 12, 2024 for articles using the LNG-IUS both alone and combined with other therapies in patients with AM. The primary outcome included dysmenorrhea, menstrual bleeding, uterine volume, endometrial thickness and quality of life. The secondary outcome was the assessment of adverse events. Data synthesis was conducted using random-effects model with significant heterogeneity (I2 > 50%), otherwise using fixed-effects model.ResultsThe final analysis included 28 studies. Compared with etonogestrel, LNG-IUS was more effective in reducing uterine volume and associated with a lower risk of weight gain, but showed no significant difference in reducing dysmenorrhea and endometrial thickness. Comparing LNG-IUS with mifepristone, there was no significant difference in terms of quality of life. The combination of LNG-IUS with Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH-a) was more effective than LNG-IUS alone, providing benefits in reducing dysmenorrhea (mean deviation, MD: -1.14), menstrual bleeding (MD: -11.94), uterine volume (MD: -30.39), endometrial thickness (MD: -0.89), and adverse events. The combination of LNG-IUS with surgical excision was more effective than surgical excision alone, providing benefits in reducing dysmenorrhea (MD: -1.49), menstrual bleeding (MD: -5.13) at 12 months, reducing uterine volume at 6 (MD: -9.23), 12 (MD: -16.53) and 24 (MD: -27.17) months. The combination of LNG-IUS with focused ultrasound ablation (FUA) was more effective than FUA alone, providing benefits in reducing dysmenorrhea (MD: -0.62), menstrual bleeding (MD: 0.17).ConclusionsThis study found no clear evidence to recommend single-drug therapy for improving pain and quality of life in AM management within 12 months. Combining LNG-IUS with GnRH-a is effective in alleviating pain, controlling heavy bleeding, reducing lesion volume, reducing the probability of expulsion and irregular bleeding. Postoperative LNG-IUS helps reduce long-term pain and bleeding. In combined FUA, LNG-IUS is effective for managing short-term pain and bleeding.Trial registrationPROSPERO registration number: CRD42024578824.
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND
Oliveira JA, Neves GL, Pinhati MES, et al.
2025
- Levonorgestrel
- Contraceptive Agents, Female
- Drug Implants
PurposeWe aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the outcomes of subdermal implants and levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in reproductive-aged women.MethodsIn April 2024, we searched Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane trials using the search terms: "etonogestrel", "levonorgestrel" and "randomized controlled trials". We identified 2862 results comparing the LNG-IUS to subdermal implants. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected with no restrictions on language or year of publication.ResultsWe include six RCTs comprising 1503 patients. R Studio was used for statistical analysis. Subdermal implants were associated with a higher risk of dissatisfaction (OR 2.42; 95% CI 1.47-3.98), acne (OR 2.21; 95% CI 1.21-4.04), weight gain (OR 4.63; 95% CI 1.96-10.63), and device removal due to side effects (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.20-3.41) compared to the LNG-IUS group. Subgroup analysis indicated that irregular bleeding may be influenced by gynecological conditions, and the risk of new ovarian cyst detection was lower in healthy women using subdermal implants. Norplant-2 was associated with an increased risk of irregular bleeding and a decreased risk of amenorrhea or infrequent bleeding. The leave-one-out analysis and heterogeneity were well distributed among studies for all evaluated outcomes.ConclusionsReproductive-aged women in use of subdermal implants experienced a higher rate of acne, weight gain, device removal due to side effects and dissatisfaction compared to those in use of LNG-IUS.Trial registrationPROSPERO ID: CRD42024516472.
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND
Guilbert É, Arguin H, Bélanger M
2024
- Foreign-Body Migration
- Desogestrel
- Contraceptive Agents, Female
Nelsilene Mota Carvalho, Deborah Margatho, Kleber Cursino, et al.
Fertility and Sterility, 2018
- Intrauterine Devices, Medicated
- Contraceptive Agents, Female
- Drug Implants
2022
2022
Helena Hognert, Helena Kopp Kallner, Sharon Cameron, et al.
Human Reproduction, 2016
- Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal
- Abortion, Induced
- Contraception
Chappell CA, Lamorde M, Nakalema S, et al.
2024
- HIV Infections
- Alkynes
- Cyclopropanes
M. C. Andrade, E. M. Yamaguti, M. Nadai, et al.
American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 2025
- Uterine Hemorrhage
- Desogestrel
- Norethindrone
BACKGROUND Additional progestogens are often used in some countries to stop prolonged bleeding in etonogestrel implant users, although no evidence currently supports this practice. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral norethisterone acetate (NETA), also known as norethindrone acetate, at a dose of 10 mg/day for prolonged bleeding associated with etonogestrel implant use. STUDY DESIGN IMPLANET is a randomized, controlled, blinded, multicenter trial conducted in Brazil. It included etonogestrel implant users aged 18-40 years who had been using the implant for at least 40 days and had experienced uterine bleeding for a minimum of 7 consecutive days at enrollment. Participants had no prior diagnosis of abnormal uterine bleeding and underwent a standardized evaluation to exclude a secondary cause for the current prolonged bleeding episode. Participants were block-randomized to receive 10 mg of oral NETA or placebo daily until they experienced no bleeding for 2 consecutive days or completed 30 consecutive days of treatment, whichever occurred first. Participants could repeat treatment up to three times over 210 days. Participants reported bleeding via daily messages. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants who achieved bleeding cessation after using up to seven consecutive pills. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of participants who achieved bleeding cessation after using up to 14 pills, treatment days required to stop the first bleeding episode, time to bleeding recurrence after the first treatment, bleeding-free days within the first 30 days, treatment failure (continued bleeding after 30 days of pill use), bleeding days and bleeding-free days after the first 30 days, and safety outcomes. Exploratory outcomes included study participation time and premature discontinuation. A sample size of 86 participants provided 80% power to detect a 30% in bleeding cessation rates after using a maximum of seven pills. The modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis included participants who received at least one dose of the randomized treatment and had a negative chlamydia/gonorrhea screen post-randomization. We used Chi-square and Wilcoxon tests for comparisons. The primary outcome was additionally analyzed using a multiple log-binomial regression to adjust for baseline imbalances (age, employment status, and marital status), with adjusted risk difference (RD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS Between September/2020 and May/2023, 114 participants were enrolled, 99 were randomized, and 90 (45 per group) were included in the mITT. Baseline characteristics were similar except for age, employment, and marital status. The NETA group had a significantly higher percentage of participants who achieved bleeding cessation after using up to 7 pills than the placebo group (86.7% vs. 48.9%, p<.001), even after adjusting for baseline imbalances (adjusted RD: 35.6% [95% CI: 17.1%-54.0%], p<.001). Bleeding cessation using up to 14 pills was higher (91.1% vs. 64.4%, p=.002) and treatment failure was lower (2.2% vs. 17.8%, p=.03) in the NETA group than in the placebo group, with fewer median treatment days to stop bleeding in the NETA group (3.0 vs. 5.0 days, p=.01). Compared to placebo, the NETA group had a shorter time to bleeding recurrence (5.0 vs. 10.5 days, p=.008), more bleeding-free days in the first 30 days (21.0 vs. 13.0 days, p=.007), longer trial participation (159.9 vs. 127.2 days, p<.001), and a lower discontinuation rate (33.3%, p=.09). CONCLUSION Short-term use of 10 mg/day NETA effectively and safely stopped prolonged bleeding in etonogestrel implant users. However, it does not prevent bleeding recurrence.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
25 hours
Mechanism
Etonogestrel binds with high affinity to the progesterone receptors in the target organs.
Food interactions
5 warnings
Human targets
1 target
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
82%
Half-life
25 hours
[L5695]
Protein binding
96-99%
[L5695]…
Volume of distribution
201 L
[A175993]
Metabolism
[L5695]…
Elimination
[L5695]
Clearance
7.5 L/h
[A175993]
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[A175990]
Etonogestrel is part of the long-acting contraceptive implants that prevent pregnancy. The implant's effect can remain for 5 years.
[L5698]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1193 interactions
There aren't reports relating etonogestrel with carcinogenesis, mutagenesis or impaired fertility.[FDA label]
There is no evidence that etonogestrel has affinity for estrogen receptors.[A35765]
In clinical trials, etonogestrel was implanted and reported to avoid 100% of pregnancies over a three year period. When the implant was removed, normal periods were reinstalled within 90 days in 91% of the individuals. Fertility was established quickly with 20 reported pregnancies within 3 months of implant removal.[L5695]
The implants of etonogestrel release 40 mcg of etonogestrel daily and they usually provide a continuous contraception effect for 3 years. When the implant is administered, the failure rate is reported to be 0.1%. Some non-contraceptive effects are improved dysmenorrhea.T502 All data of etonogestrel comes from patients between 80-130% of the body mass.
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A37184]
When etonogestrel is administered subdermally it is absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream and it presents a bioavailability of 82%.T55 It is reported that the implant releases around 60 mcg per day in the first 3 months and then decreases steady reaching a concentration of 30 mcg at the end of year 2.
[A175993]
[L5695]
[L5695]
The protein bound form of the etonogestrel represents around 96-99% of the administered dose.T55
[A175993]
[L5695]
[L5695]
[A175993]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
Proteins that carry this drug through the body
PMID:19021548
Major calcium and magnesium transporter in plasma, binds approximately 45% of circulating calcium and magnesium in plasma (By similarity).
Potentially has more than two calcium-binding sites and might additionally bind calcium in a non-specific manner (By similarity). The shared binding site between zinc and calcium at residue Asp-273 suggests a crosstalk between zinc and calcium transport in the blood (By similarity). The rank order of affinity is zinc > calcium > magnesium (By similarity).
Binds to the bacterial siderophore enterobactin and inhibits enterobactin-mediated iron uptake of E.coli from ferric transferrin, and may thereby limit the utilization of iron and growth of enteric bacteria such as E.coli .
PMID:6234017
Does not prevent iron uptake by the bacterial siderophore aerobactin PMID:6234017
Regulates the plasma metabolic clearance rate of steroid hormones by controlling their plasma concentration
ATC G03AC08
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Etonogestrel
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
13323
ChemSpider
5292944
BindingDB
50423516
ZINC
ZINC000011680067
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:8910
GenAtlas
PGR
GeneCards
PGR
GenBank Gene Database
X51730
GenBank Protein Database
35652
Guide to Pharmacology
627
UniProt Accession
PRGR_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2637
GenAtlas
CYP3A4
GeneCards
CYP3A4
GenBank Gene Database
M18907
Guide to Pharmacology
1337
UniProt Accession
CP3A4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:399
GenAtlas
ALB
GeneCards
ALB
GenBank Gene Database
V00494
GenBank Protein Database
28590
UniProt Accession
ALBU_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10839
GenAtlas
SHBG
GeneCards
SHBG
GenBank Gene Database
X16349
GenBank Protein Database
296673
UniProt Accession
SHBG_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications:
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Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q3733839), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication.