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If you’re planning to get a Liletta intrauterine device (IUD) to prevent pregnancy, you’re in luck. You’ll be able to keep it for an additional two years, thanks to a recent approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA recently okayed the extension for the duration of use of the popular hormonal IUD in the prevention of pregnancy from six years to eight years.
Liletta (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system) 52 mg was deemed safe for this extended-use time period on the basis of data from the ACCESS IUS (A Comprehensive Contraceptive Efficacy & Safety Study of an IUS) published earlier this year in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
“The extended duration of use for Liletta continues to provide that women can access a reliable, long-term birth control option that offers greater flexibility and expands choice in their reproductive health decisions,” said Tina Raine-Bennett, MD, CEO of Medicines 360, in a statement.
Why is the Liletta extension important?
There are several benefits to this recent FDA approval.
Potential for even longer usage
The approval for the extended use period for Liletta is good news.
“It’s always good to have an option that lasts longer than previously studied,” says Sophia Yen, MD, MPH, the co-founder and CEO of Pandia Health. “Liletta and Mirena are pretty much the same thing, so it was expected that Liletta could last that long, but to have it FDA approved is great.”
Long-acting contraception is effective
Use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), which includes both IUDs and birth control implants, has been on the rise in recent years, the Guttmacher Institute reports. IUDs and implants are considered the most effective reversible methods of contraception on the market, with a failure rate of less than 1% for IUDs.
Lower prices
Since an eight-year Liletta is now direct competition for the eight-year Mirena, that could potentially result in lower prices, Dr. Yen adds.
IUD costs vary, depending on your insurance coverage, the specific brand of IUD, and the facility where you have it inserted. While many insurance plans may cover most or even all of the cost of an IUD, lower prices are always better.
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How many years is Liletta good for compared to other IUDs?
Liletta is not the only long-lasting IUD on the market. There are a few other options.
Liletta—up to 8 years
You can now use Liletta to prevent pregnancy for up to eight years. This isn’t the first time the FDA has given its okay to a duration extension for Liletta. In 2018, Allergan and Medicines360 filed a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to extend the duration of use from four years to five years. Then, in 2019, the FDA approved an sNDA to extend the duration up to six years, giving Liletta the longest duration of use for a hormonal IUD in the United States at that time.
Mirena—up to 8 years
Earlier this year, the FDA approved an extension for up to eight years for Mirena, another hormonal IUD. Prior to the FDA’s approval of that sNDA, Mirena was approved in 2021 for the use in pregnancy prevention for up to seven years.
Paragard—up to 10 years
By comparison, the hormone-free IUD Paragard has long held FDA approval for use in the prevention of pregnancy for up to 10 years. Paragard, which is manufactured by CooperSurgical, is a copper IUD. Copper changes the way sperm swim, which prevents fertilization.
Any of these three IUDs can also be used as emergency contraception, according to Planned Parenthood. If inserted by a healthcare professional within 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected sex, they are more than 99% effective. Plus, you get to keep the IUD afterward and use it for as long as indicated.
