TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA Release: New Emergency Contraceptive Option Now Available

Published: Aug 24, 2009

NORTH WALES, PA--(Marketwire - August 24, 2009) -

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http://www.PlanBOneStep.com

There is good news for college students as they head back to campus this fall. A new emergency contraceptive, Plan B® One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet, 1.5 mg, is now available at the local pharmacy for all students 17 and older.

"With new Plan B® One-Step, women can now help prevent an unintended pregnancy after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure with just one pill in one dose," comments Ashlesha Patel, MD, Ob/Gyn at John H. Stroger, Jr., Hospital of Cook County in Chicago. "Emergency contraception is more effective the sooner it's taken, and Plan B® One-Step provides a back-up plan that's only one pill away."

"Unintended pregnancy spikes among college-age women(1), so it's critical that they know their sexual health options," comments Kelli Conlin, President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. "I encourage all women to use primary contraception consistently and correctly, and also keep emergency contraception on-hand in their dorm room or apartment so it's readily available if the unexpected does happen."

About Plan B® One-Step

Plan B® One-Step (www.PlanBOneStep.com) can help prevent an unintended pregnancy after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure with just one pill in one dose. It is now available over-the-counter at the pharmacy for consumers age 17 or older with government-issued proof-of-age identification. Women younger than age 17 require a prescription to purchase Plan B® One-Step.

When taken as directed, within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure, Plan B® One-Step is highly effective in reducing the chance of pregnancy--but the sooner you take it, the more effective it will be. About seven out of eight women who would have gotten pregnant will not become pregnant after taking it. Plan B® One-Step will not work if a woman is already pregnant and it will not terminate an existing pregnancy.

Important Safety Information

PLAN B® ONE-STEP IS INTENDED TO PREVENT PREGNANCY AFTER KNOWN OR SUSPECTED CONTRACEPTIVE FAILURE OR UNPROTECTED INTERCOURSE.

Plan B® One-Step isn't effective if you're already pregnant, and it won't terminate an existing pregnancy. Plan B® One-Step doesn't protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Side effects may include changes in your period, nausea, lower abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, or dizziness. If your period is more than a week late, you may be pregnant. If you have severe abdominal pain, you may have an ectopic pregnancy, and should get immediate medical help. Please see full product information also available on www.PlanBOneStep.com, by calling 1-800-330-1271, or by speaking to your pharmacist. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA at fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Teva's Safe Harbor Statement under the U. S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This release contains forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of management. Such statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to successfully develop and commercialize additional pharmaceutical products, the introduction of competing generic equivalents, the extent to which we may obtain U.S. market exclusivity for certain of our new generic products and regulatory changes that may prevent us from utilizing exclusivity periods, potential liability for sales of generic products prior to a final resolution of outstanding patent litigation, including that relating to the generic versions of Neurontin®, Lotrel®, Protonix® and Ortho Tri-Cyclen® Lo, the current economic conditions, competition from brand-name companies that are under increased pressure to counter generic products, or competitors that seek to delay the introduction of generic products, the effects of competition on our innovative products, especially Copaxone® sales, dependence on the effectiveness of our patents and other protections for innovative products, the impact of consolidation of our distributors and customers, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and pending legislation that could affect the pharmaceutical industry, our ability to achieve expected results though our innovative R&D efforts, the difficulty of predicting U.S. Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency and other regulatory authority approvals, the uncertainty surrounding the legislative and regulatory pathway for the registration and approval of biotechnology-based products, the regulatory environment and changes in the health policies and structures of various countries, supply interruptions or delays that could result from the complex manufacturing of our products and our global supply chain, our ability to successfully identify, consummate and integrate acquisitions, including the integration of Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the potential exposure to product liability claims to the extent not covered by insurance, our exposure to fluctuations in currency, exchange and interest rates, significant operations worldwide that may be adversely affected by terrorism, political or economical instability or major hostilities, our ability to enter into patent litigation settlements and the intensified scrutiny by the U.S. government, the termination or expiration of governmental programs and tax benefits, impairment of intangible assets and goodwill, environmental risks, and other factors that are discussed in this report and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

Plan B® is a registered trademark of Women's Capital Corporation, a subsidiary of Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

References:

(1) Finer, L. and Henshaw, K, Disparities in Rates of Unintended Pregnancy In the United States, 1994 and 2001, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2006, 38(2):90-96.