Levonorgestrel

Progestin — GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES

Key facts

Levonorgestrel is an ofp drug in the Progestin class catalogued in DrugCentral. It was first approved by the FDA in 1968. DrugCentral lists 7 molecular targets, including PGR, PGR and SHBG. Recorded indications include Contraception, Controlled ovarian stimulation, Dysmenorrhea and Menopausal flushing.

• Approval status: ofp (first approved 1968 by the FDA).
• Drug class: Progestin; Progestin-containing Intrauterine System.
• Molecular targets: PGR, PGR, SHBG and Ar (7 listed in DrugCentral).
• Indications: Contraception, Controlled ovarian stimulation, Dysmenorrhea, Menopausal flushing and Menorrhagia and others.
• ATC code: G03AA06 (Progestogens and estrogens, fixed combinations).
• Molecular formula: C21H28O2; molecular weight 312.45 g/mol.

Indications & contraindications

Drug–disease relationships curated by DrugCentral (OMOP / SNOMED concepts).

Indications (7)

• Contraception
• Controlled ovarian stimulation
• Dysmenorrhea
• Menopausal flushing
• Menorrhagia
• Postcoital contraception
• Postmenopausal osteoporosis

Off-label uses (4)

• Acne vulgaris
• Endometriosis
• Female hypogonadism syndrome
• Polycystic ovaries

Contraindications (88)

• Abnormal uterine bleeding unrelated to menstrual cycle
• Amenorrhea
• Anemia
• Angina pectoris
• Asthma
• Bacterial vaginosis
• Bed-ridden
• Benign mammary dysplasia
• Blood coagulation disorder
• Body fluid retention
• Breast lump
• Carcinoma of female breast
• Cardiovascular event risk
• Cerebrovascular accident
• Chloasma
• Cholestasis of pregnancy
• Chorea
• Chronic heart failure
• Congenital heart disease
• Congenital uterine anomaly
• Cyst of ovary
• Deep venous thrombosis
• Dementia
• Depressive disorder
• Diabetes mellitus
• Diplopia
• Disease of liver
• Disorder of coronary artery
• Disorder of gallbladder
• Ectopic pregnancy
• + 58 more

Mechanism & targets

• Established pharmacologic class: Progestin; Progestin-containing Intrauterine System

Molecular targets (7)

Target	Gene	Action	Activity
Progesterone receptor	PGR	agonist	ED50 12.80
Progesterone receptor	PGR	unknown	Ki 9.34
Sex hormone-binding globulin	SHBG	unknown	Kd 8.91
Androgen receptor	Ar	unknown	Ki 8.37
Glucocorticoid receptor	NR3C1	unknown	Ki 7.17
Sodium-dependent serotonin transporter	SLC6A4	unknown	Ki 6.22
Estrogen receptor	ESR1	unknown	—

Regulatory approvals (2)

Date	Agency	Marketed as	Applicant	Orphan
2018-07-02	PMDA	—	Nobelpharma Co., Ltd.
1968-04-16	FDA	—	WYETH PHARMS

ATC classification

ATC code	Therapeutic hierarchy
G03AA06	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES FOR SYSTEMIC USE › Progestogens and estrogens, fixed combinations
G03AA07	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES FOR SYSTEMIC USE › Progestogens and estrogens, fixed combinations
G03AB03	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES FOR SYSTEMIC USE › Progestogens and estrogens, sequential preparations
G03AC03	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES FOR SYSTEMIC USE › Progestogens
G03AD01	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES FOR SYSTEMIC USE › Emergency contraceptives
G03FA10	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › PROGESTOGENS AND ESTROGENS IN COMBINATION › Progestogens and estrogens, fixed combinations
G03FA11	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › PROGESTOGENS AND ESTROGENS IN COMBINATION › Progestogens and estrogens, fixed combinations
G03FB01	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › PROGESTOGENS AND ESTROGENS IN COMBINATION › Progestogens and estrogens, sequential preparations
G03FB09	GENITO URINARY SYSTEM AND SEX HORMONES › SEX HORMONES AND MODULATORS OF THE GENITAL SYSTEM › PROGESTOGENS AND ESTROGENS IN COMBINATION › Progestogens and estrogens, sequential preparations

Reported adverse-event signals

Strongest FDA FAERS disproportionality signals (log-likelihood ratio). A signal is a statistical association in spontaneous reports, not proof that the drug causes the event.

MedDRA term	LLR
Device expulsion	164145.3
Device dislocation	55509.0
Genital haemorrhage	28690.7
Uterine perforation	19444.4
Complication of device insertion	17831.6
Pregnancy with contraceptive device	17555.2
Procedural pain	14374.5
Abdominal pain lower	12475.9
Embedded device	10285.7
Pelvic pain	8804.9
Vaginal haemorrhage	8660.6
Device breakage	8160.7

Chemical structure

Full physicochemical, ADMET and 3D-structure analysis of Levonorgestrel is on its molecule page.

• Molecular formula: C₂₁H₂₈O₂
• Molecular weight: 312.45 g/mol
• CAS number: —
• InChIKey: WWYNJERNGUHSAO-XUDSTZEESA-N
• PubChem CID: 13109

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Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the structured data on this page, not written by hand.

What is Levonorgestrel used for?

DrugCentral lists the following indications for Levonorgestrel: Contraception, Controlled ovarian stimulation, Dysmenorrhea, Menopausal flushing, Menorrhagia, Postcoital contraception and Postmenopausal osteoporosis.

How does Levonorgestrel work?

Its molecular targets in DrugCentral include PGR (agonist), PGR, SHBG and Ar.

When was Levonorgestrel first approved?

Levonorgestrel was first approved by the FDA in 1968.

What drug class does Levonorgestrel belong to?

Levonorgestrel is in the Progestin class.

What is the chemical formula of Levonorgestrel?

Levonorgestrel has the molecular formula C21H28O2 and a molecular weight of 312.45 g/mol.

Sources

• DrugCentral drug card 1572 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• ChEMBL CHEMBL1389 — compound record and bioactivity
• PubChem CID 13109 — chemical identifiers
• DrugBank DB00367 — drug record
• FDA UNII 5W7SIA7YZW — substance identity
• DailyMed: FDA labels for Levonorgestrel — current prescribing information (label search)
• UniProt P06401 (PGR) — target protein
• UniProt P04278 (SHBG) — target protein
• UniProt P04150 (NR3C1) — target protein
• UniProt P31645 (SLC6A4) — target protein
• UniProt P03372 (ESR1) — target protein
• FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (openFDA FAERS) — adverse-event signals, as aggregated by DrugCentral

How this page is built: methodology · editorial policy & corrections.