Drospirenone: a novel progestin.

Drospirenone is a novel progestin available in combined oral contraceptives and menopausal hormonal therapy. Similar to its parent compound spirolactone, an analog of spironolactone, drospirenone has antimineralocorticoid and antiandrogenic activity. Combined with ethinyl estradiol in oral contraceptive formulations, drospirenone-containing contraceptives have similar efficacy and safety profiles to other low-dose oral contraceptives, but seem to offer improved tolerability with regard to weight gain, mood changes, acne and treatment of a severe form of premenstrual syndrome called premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Combined with estradiol as a continuous hormone therapy regimen, the compound was shown to reduce vasomotor symptoms, maintain bone mass, have a beneficial effect on body weight and, more importantly, was shown to lower blood pressure in postmenopausal women.