Ulipristal acetate, sold under the brand nameElla among others, is amedication used foremergency contraception (birth control) anduterine fibroids.[1][7][8] As emergency contraception it should be used within 120 hours of vaginally penetrating intercourse.[1] For fibroids it may be taken for up to six months.[9] It is takenby mouth.[1]
Foremergency contraception[13] a 30 mg tablet is used within 120 hours (5 days) after unprotectedintercourse or contraceptive failure.[6] It has been shown to prevent about 62–85% of expected pregnancies,[14] and prevents more pregnancies than emergency contraception withlevonorgestrel.[15] Ulipristal acetate is available by prescription for emergency contraception in over 50 countries, with access through pharmacists without a prescription being tested in the United Kingdom.[16][17][18][19] In November 2014, theEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended availability of ellaOne emergency contraceptive without prescription in the European Union.[20] In January 2015 theEuropean Commission issued an implementing decision amending accordingly the marketing authorization of EllaOne in the EU.[21] Since July 2016, it is available without prescription in Israel.
Ulipristal acetate is used for pre-operative treatment of moderate to severe symptoms ofuterine fibroids in adult women of reproductive age.[22] The use of ulipristal acetate to treat fibroids was suspended in the European Union in March 2020.[22]
In November 2020, theCommittee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of theEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended that ulipristal acetate be used only to treat uterine fibroids in premenopausal women for whom surgical procedures (including uterine fibroid embolization) are not appropriate or have not worked.[23] In addition, the committee stated that ulipristal acetate must not be used for controlling symptoms of uterine fibroids while awaiting surgical treatment.[23]
Treatment of uterine fibroids with ulipristal acetate for 13 weeks effectively controlled excessive bleeding due to uterine fibroids and reduced the size of the fibroids.[24][25][26]
Two intermittent 3-months treatment courses of ulipristal acetate 10 mg resulted in amenorrhea at the end of the first treatment course in 79.5%, at the end of the second course in 88.5% of subjects. Mean myoma volume reduction observed during the first treatment course (−41.9%) was maintained during the second one (−43.7%).[22] After two to four 3-months courses of treatment, UPA-treated fibroids shown about -70% in volume reduction.[27]
Volume reduction of uterine fibroid induced by ulipristal acetate was tentatively explained by the combination of multifactorial events involving control of proliferation of the tumor cells, induction ofapoptosis and remodeling of theextracellular matrix[28] under the action ofmatrix metalloproteinases.[29]
In May 2018, theEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended measures to minimize the risk of rare but serious liver injury with ulipristal, including contraindication in women with known liver problems; liver tests before, during and after stopping treatment; a card for women to inform them about the need for liver monitoring and to contact their doctor should they develop symptoms of liver injury. In addition, use of the medicine for more than one treatment course has been restricted to women who are not eligible for surgery.[30]
There is currently no consistent or convincing evidence that ulipristal acetate at the emergency contraceptive dose causes clinically meaningful changes in endometrial gene expression that would affect endometrial receptivity or prevent implantation.[11] There is limited but emerging evidence suggesting ulipristal acetate (UPA) is associated with favorable pregnancy outcomes—including successful full-term pregnancies—when used to treat uterine fibroids in women with prior miscarriage history.[31]
A 2025 preliminary clinical study on 133 pregnant women indicated the possibility that ulipristal acetate, at a substantially higher dose than used for contraception and combined withmisoprostol, could be used as a more widely available and similarly effective substitute for theabortifacientmifepristone.[32][33][34]
Ulipristal acetate should not be taken by women with severe liver diseases[35] because of its CYP mediated metabolism. It has not been studied in women under the age of 18.[36]: 33, 43
It is also not recommended for women with severe asthma receivingglucocorticoid treatment because it has shown antiglucocorticoid effects in animal studies.[36]: 10, 44
Unlike levonorgestrel, and likemifepristone, ulipristal acetate isembryotoxic in animal studies.[36]: 16 Before taking the drug, a pregnancy must be excluded.[6] The EMA proposed to avoid any allusion to a possible use as anabortifacient in the package insert to avertoff-label use.[36]: 41 Prior to the 2025 study mentioned above, it was considered unlikely that ulipristal acetate could effectively be used as an abortifacient, since it is used in much lower doses (30 mg) than the roughly equipotent mifepristone (600 mg), and since mifepristone has to be combined with aprostaglandin for the induction of abortion.[37] However, data on embryotoxicity in humans are very limited, and it is not clear what the risk for an abortion or forteratogenicity (birth defects) is. Of the 29 women studied who became pregnant despite taking ulipristal acetate, 16 had induced abortions, six had spontaneous abortions, six continued the pregnancies, and one waslost to follow-up.[36]: 37
It is not recommended to breast feed within seven days of taking the drug since ulipristal acetate is excreted into the breast milk, and possible effects on the infant have not been studied.[35][36]: 43
Ulipristal acetate is metabolized by CYP3A4 in vitro. Ulipristal acetate is likely to interact with substrates of CYP3A4, likerifampicin,phenytoin,St John's wort,carbamazepine orritonavir, therefore concomitant use with these agents is not recommended.[22][36]: 12, 14 It might also interact with hormonal contraceptives andprogestogens such aslevonorgestrel and other substrates of the progesterone receptor, as well as withglucocorticoids.[22]
In animal studies, the drug was quickly and nearly completely absorbed from the gut. Intake of food delays absorption, but it is not known whether this is clinically relevant.[36]: 12, 20
Ulipristal acetate ismetabolized in theliver, most likely byCYP3A4, and to a small extent byCYP1A2 andCYP2D6. The two mainmetabolites have been shown to be pharmacologically active, but less than the original drug. The mainexcretion route is via thefeces.[36]: 13–14, 21
Ulipristal acetate was granted marketing authorization by theEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) in May 2009.[6] In 2014, the EMA recommended ulipristal be made available without a prescription in the European Union.[42][6]
The U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug for use in the United States on 13 August 2010,[43] following the FDA advisory committee's recommendation.[44][45]Watson Pharmaceuticals announced the availability of ulipristal acetate in the United States on 1 December 2010, in retail pharmacies, clinics, and one on-line pharmacy,KwikMed.[46]
Ulipristal acetate is marketed as an emergency contraceptive (30 mg) in over 75 countries, under different brands such as ella, ellaOne, Dvella, FemelleOne, Femke, Lencya, Prevent One, ulip, Ulipristal Stada, Ulipristal Mylan, Ulipristal acetate Sandoz and others.[47]
Ulipristal acetate is also marketed for treatment of uterine fibroids, under different brands such as Esmya or Primette.
^abcdefghi"Ulipristal Acetate". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved8 December 2017.
^abLi HW, Resche-Rigon M, Bagchi IC, Gemzell-Danielsson K, Glasier A (November 2019). "Does ulipristal acetate emergency contraception (ella®) interfere with implantation?".Contraception.100 (5):386–390.doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2019.07.140.PMID31351035.S2CID198952998.
^World Health Organization (2023).The selection and use of essential medicines 2023: web annex A: World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 23rd list (2023). Geneva: World Health Organization.hdl:10665/371090. WHO/MHP/HPS/EML/2023.02.
^Glasier AF, Cameron ST, Fine PM, Logan SJ, Casale W, Van Horn J, et al. (February 2010). "Ulipristal acetate versus levonorgestrel for emergency contraception: a randomised non-inferiority trial and meta-analysis".Lancet.375 (9714):555–562.doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60101-8.PMID20116841.S2CID26771153.
^Trussell J, Wynn L (13 February 2013)."Dedicated emergency contraceptive pills worldwide"(PDF). Princeton: Office of Population Research at Princeton University, Association of Reproductive Health Professionals.Archived(PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved25 March 2014.
^ECEC (2014)."Emergency contraception availability in Europe". New York: European Consortium for Emergency Contraception (ECEC).Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved25 March 2014.Ulipristal acetate Emergency Contraception Pills (UPA ECPs), while available in most European countries since 2010, are not yet available in Albania, Estonia, Macedonia, Malta, Switzerland and Turkey. For now[when?] UPA ECPs are sold with a prescription in all countries, although provision without a prescription is currently[when?] being tested in the United Kingdom.
^Winikoff B, Bousiéguez M, Salmerón J, Robles-Rivera K, Hernández-Salazar S, Martínez-Huitrón A, et al. (January 2025). "A Proof-of-Concept Study of Ulipristal Acetate for Early Medication Abortion".NEJM Evidence.4 (2) EVIDoa2400209.doi:10.1056/EVIDoa2400209.PMID39847511.
^Šauer P, Stará A, Golovko O, Valentová O, Bořík A, Grabic R, et al. (June 2018). "Two synthetic progestins and natural progesterone are responsible for most of the progestagenic activities in municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents in the Czech and Slovak republics".Water Research.137:64–71.Bibcode:2018WatRe.137...64S.doi:10.1016/j.watres.2018.02.065.PMID29544204.S2CID4726126.
^Attardi BJ, Burgenson J, Hild SA, Reel JR (March 2004). "In vitro antiprogestational/antiglucocorticoid activity and progestin and glucocorticoid receptor binding of the putative metabolites and synthetic derivatives of CDB-2914, CDB-4124, and mifepristone".The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.88 (3):277–288.doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2003.12.004.PMID15120421.S2CID23958876.
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