Use should be limited to women who choose oral contraception
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended that medicines containing a combination of dienogest 2 mg and ethinylestradiol 0.03 mg can continue to be used to treat moderate acne when suitable treatments applied to the skin or antibiotics taken by mouth have not worked. However, these medicines, which are also approved as hormonal contraceptives, should only be used in women who choose oral contraception.
Having evaluated the existing data on the effectiveness of the combination in the treatment of acne, EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) concluded that there is sufficient evidence to support its use in moderate acne. Regarding the risk of side effects, the CHMP considered that the available data do not raise any new safety concern. The known risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE or blood clots in veins), which can occur with all combined hormonal contraceptives, is considered low. However, the data on the risk with dienogest/ethinylestradiol are not sufficient to accurately estimate how it compares with other contraceptives and further data are still awaited.
Considering the observed benefits of dienogest/ethinylestradiol in the treatment of acne, the potential risk of VTE and the nature of the disease, the CHMP concluded that this combination should only be used after certain other treatments have failed, and only when oral contraception is chosen. The CHMP also recommended that women should be assessed by their doctor 3 to 6 months after starting treatment and periodically thereafter to review the need for continuation of treatment.
The prescribing information for these medicines will be updated in line with the above recommendations.