Australia’s leading sexual and reproductive healthcare organisation, Marie Stopes International Australia, today issued the following statement regarding the organisations’ plans to launch a pilot program for medical abortion using a methotrexate-misoprostol regimen:

“Marie Stopes International Australia welcomes the decision by the TGA to approve Mifepristone ( RU486) – a safe, effective medical abortifacient and the ideal method of medical abortion.

However, due to the delay in RU486 being readily available in Australia and the need in some cases for the option of medical abortion, MSIA is launching a pilot program for medical abortion using a methotrexate-misoprostol regimen.

The pilot program will commence in NSW in August, with a national (ACT, WA, QLD and NSW) roll out planned pending the outcome of the pilot.

Methotrexate is a folic acid antagonist that is widely used for the treatment of cancer, arthritis, inflammatory disorders, ectopic pregnancy and the termination of pregnancy. Methotrexate affects trophoblastic cells so that they are unable to divide and multiply. As a result, the development of the placenta is halted causing it to be unable to support the embryo.

Multiple clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of medical abortion with mifepristone or methotrexate followed by a prostaglandin analogue. It has been concluded that both mifepristone and methotrexate, when administered with misoprostol, have high levels of success below or at 49 days gestation.

The drug is licensed for other purposes in Australia, as both an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer medication. Doctors can prescribe drugs "off label", for any reason they judge medically appropriate, so long as the patient understands it is not approved for that use.

Access and choice are constant issues women face with all sexual and reproductive healthcare services.The provision of medical abortion in Australia will increase the choices available to Australian women faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

While surgical abortion is a very safe procedure in Australia, medical methods of abortion have a number of advantages. Medical abortion allows women to terminate an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy at an earlier gestational stage than surgical abortion. In addition, the pregnancy termination is non-surgical and requires no anesthesia.

Professor Caroline De Costa's recent win in gaining approval to import the first shipment of RU486 from a New Zealand company is one step towards increasing access and choice, and Marie Stopes International Australia congratulates Professor De Costa on this achievement.

Marie Stopes International Australia is investigating the possibility of importing RU486 and is in the process of preparing an application. However, interest from a larger pharmaceutical company is required in order to achieve mainstream distribution.

ENDS -

About Marie Stopes International Australia:

Marie Stopes International Australia is a not-for-profit sexual and reproductive healthcare provider, with centres in the ACT, Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. The organisation offers a range of services, including abortion, vasectomy, sexually transmitted infection check-ups and contraception. Surplus proceeds from Australian activities support the work of Marie Stopes International Australia Partnerships, which delivers sexual and reproductive health services to more than four million people in over 37 countries.

For further information please contact:

Gail Carland
Public Relations Manager
Ph: 03 9658 7507