Gynetics to Begin Selling ‘Morning After’ Pill

Gynetics Inc. said that next year it will begin marketing an emergency contraceptive, commonly known as the “morning after” pill, in the U.S. A combination of hormones found in birth-control pills, the drug reduces the risk of pregnancy by 75% after unprotected sex and could reduce the demand for abortion by half, said James Trussell, director of the Office of Population Research at Princeton University. Gynetics will be the first company to market this type of contraceptive in the U.S. Other oral-contraceptive makers in the U.S. have decided not to market their products for this purpose, saying they fear angering antiabortion groups and sparking liability lawsuits. Johnson & Johnson, Schering, American Home Products Corp., Akzo Nobel and Roche Holding are among the major manufacturers of oral contraceptives. Gynetics is a closely held company based in Somerville, N.J.